"We have results": Government task force locates 33 of 64 Haitian children

A government task force in Chile has successfully located 33 of the 64 Haitian children and adolescents who were initially reported as missing. This development comes after significant inter-agency efforts to address the situation.

Director General of the Investigations Police (PDI), Eduardo Cerna, confirmed that the located minors are living with their direct family members, are attending school, and are receiving necessary health care. He clarified that these children were not missing or lost, but rather residing with their relatives and had entered the country through established protocols.

Cerna explained the immigration process for these minors, particularly concerning charter flights. He detailed that each child's documentation is verified against their reunification visa and the identity of the accompanying adult, with official records kept of the receiving party.

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In relation to the report from the Comptroller General of the Republic that refers to 64 NNA who had not been located, we have found 33 who are living with a binding family: father, mother, siblings. They are young people who are in good health, are in school and in the health system. That is to say, they are living in their places; they are not missing, lost, or irregularly entered.

Minister of Social Development and Family, María Jesús Wulf, who spearheaded the task force, called for a unified approach. She stressed that the government's primary focus is on identifying and ensuring the well-being of these children, stating, "This is not the time for politics... it is the time for action and it is the time for children and adolescents."

Minister Wulf also highlighted that this initiative is integrated into a wider national policy for comprehensive child protection. The goal is to enhance the state's response mechanisms for vulnerable children across Chile, extending beyond the specific case of the Haitian community.

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This is not the time for politics, nor for seeking culprits or those responsible; it is the time for action and it is the time for children and adolescents. We are facing a serious problem and our only occupation today is to solve it as soon as possible for the safety of these children.