Colombia orders deportation crackdown on irregular migrants
Key Takeaways
- Colombia ordered migration and police operations targeting foreigners with irregular status in Barranquilla.
- Foreigners involved in crimes will be prioritised before those who have not regularised their status.
- De la Espriella said the crackdown would apply to irregular migrants regardless of nationality.
President Abelardo de la Espriella ordered migration and police operations in Barranquilla, with foreigners involved in crimes first in line for deportation.
President Abelardo de la Espriella ordered migration and police operations in Barranquilla, with foreigners involved in crimes first in line for deportation.
Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella has ordered authorities to begin operations in Barranquilla to identify and deport foreigners living in the country with irregular status, with those involved in crimes as the first priority.
De la Espriella announced the measure during a security council meeting on Sunday, August 23, directing Migration Colombia and the Police to begin operations this week.
"We will begin the operations. This is a position I have held during the campaign and which I will implement from the Presidency of the Republic. Not only the foreigners committing offences, crimes, but also those who have broken the rules to be here," De la Espriella announced.
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The president said authorities would initially focus on foreigners involved in criminal activity before targeting those who have failed to regularise their migration status.
"First, those committing crimes. Second, those who have not regularised their situation and, before long, will have to be deported," the president said.
De la Espriella also repeated his "Colombians first" position, saying he would take responsibility for the policy.
"I will not accept illegal migration here. First Colombians, second Colombians and third Colombians," De la Espriella said. "That is a political decision and I will assume it, and it is an administrative decision; I will assume it," he added.
The president said the operations would apply to irregular migrants regardless of nationality, warning that he would not accept "illegal immigrants, wherever they come from".
De la Espriella also linked organised crime with drug trafficking, illegal mining, extortion and smuggling, arguing that the activities form part of the same criminal structure.
The move signals a tougher approach to migration policy following years of regularisation programmes that largely focused on Venezuelans.
Studies estimate that about 2.8 million Venezuelans live in Colombia, with more than 500,000 remaining without regular migration status.
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This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
