Juan Décima 
The government imposed harsh migratory reforms on Wednesday, imposing restrictions on access to public services for foreigners in Argentina.
According to the decree issued by President Javier Milei, foreigners without a permanent residence will be charged for public healthcare. The government also stated that it will “authorize” public universities to charge temporary residents for classes.
Per the government’s press release, the law will also demand that foreigners who have a “transitory, temporary, or irregular” residency status present a certificate of medical insurance in order to be allowed entrance to the country.
Free healthcare and higher education have been a staple of Argentine society since the mid-20th century. Milei, however, has rallied against these issues ever since coming into power. He had already announced that he would move forward with this legislation in his opening speech for Congress in March 2025.
“Our nation has been generous with immigrants, but it’s another thing to be seen as stupid by our neighbors or as a welfare center paid by Argentines,” he claimed at the time.
New legislation?
The new legislation also announced requirements for entry and citizenship that are already part of current legislation. The government statement said that, “starting now,” no convicted foreigner will be allowed to enter the country, and that those who have been convicted of a crime will be deported. It also alleged that current legislation does not reject the entrance of foreigners with prison sentences of under five years.
Current migration law already states that foreigners with a criminal record or prison sentences can be banned from entering the country. The decision to allow or forbid entrance is left up to the authorities’ judgement call based on the severity of the crime and the potential danger to public safety.
Regarding citizenship, the release also claimed it will be given “only to those who have lived in the country for 2 years uninterrupted, or have made a significant investment in Argentina.” According to the official government site, the law already demands this.
Presidential spokesman Manuel Adorni addressed the announcement in his usual daily press conference. He listed the highlights of the bill and repeated the government’s claims that the current migratory situation is “chaotic” and “ripe with abuse.”
“Almost anybody can come in, even those with prison sentences of under 3 years and deportation conditions are too flexible,” he said, claiming that Argentina will no longer be “fertile ground for delinquents.”
Adorni is also ruling party La Libertad Avanza’s (LLA) leading candidate for Buenos Aires City legislature in the upcoming Sunday May 18 elections. The migratory reform comes on the same day that he is set to have his closing campaign rally alongside Milei at the Parque Mitre venue in the Recoleta neighborhood.