Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella has ordered an immigration crackdown, directing authorities to detain undocumented foreigners convicted of crimes and begin deportation procedures.
The right-wing president, a hardline lawyer, took office on 7 August after campaigning on pledges to tackle crime and drug-trafficking guerrillas, reports AFP.
Although immigration was not a central issue in his campaign, De la Espriella announced the new measures while chairing a security meeting on Sunday in Barranquilla, his Caribbean stronghold.
“I will not accept illegal migrants, no matter where they come from,” he said.
“The order to Immigration (authorities) is clear: first those who are committing crimes, second those who have not regularized their status and who will have to be deported in due course.”
He said the deportation process would begin this week under a presidential order.
Colombians first
Over the past decade, Colombia has become the main destination for Venezuelans escaping the economic crisis in their country.
Colombia’s immigration department estimates that about 2.8 million Venezuelans were living in the country as of June this year, including more than 527,000 undocumented migrants.
Previous right-wing governments had largely tolerated Venezuelan migrants, considering them victims of the socialist policies of ousted president Nicolas Maduro and his predecessor, Hugo Chavez.
Before Venezuela’s crisis, Colombia was primarily a country of emigration. Six decades of armed conflict forced millions of Colombians to leave the country, with some settling in Venezuela.
De la Espriella presented himself as a unifying figure during his first days in office, which coincided with a powerful earthquake that killed more than 300 people in western Colombia.
At Sunday’s security meeting, however, he echoed US President Donald Trump’s “America First” agenda, of which he is an avid supporter.
“Colombians first, Colombians second, Colombians third, may that be clear to everyone,” De la Espriella said.
A Colombian ICE
Left-wing senator and activist Maria Jose Pizarro criticised the announcement, accusing De la Espriella of proposing “a Colombian ICE”.
She described his deportation directive as “pure xenophobia and hatred of the poor”.
“Migration is not a crime, it’s a human right,” she said, adding that “behind every migrant is a story of survival.”
The announcement has divided opinion among Colombians on social media.
Many welcomed the measure and accused migrants, particularly Venezuelans, of contributing to rising crime rates.
Others defended Venezuelan migrants, describing them as hard-working and highlighting their contribution to the economy.
De la Espriella is part of a growing right-wing trend across Latin America, driven partly by public anger over rising violent crime. Voters in many countries have blamed Venezuelan gangs for the increase in crime.
