Colombia Launches Immigration Crackdown Amid Earthquake Recovery Efforts
President De la Espriella ordered joint police and migration operations to detain and deport people without legal status, with operations set to begin the week of August 25.
Two weeks after taking office, President Abelardo de la Espriella announced a crackdown on irregular immigration, ordering joint operations by police and migration authorities to detain and deport people without legal status or involved in criminal activity. The president said operations would begin 'this very week,' referring to the week of August 25.
The Guardian reported the policy push comes as Colombia simultaneously grapples with the aftermath of the mid-August earthquake, reflecting the president's broader hard-line security agenda. De la Espriella has consistently framed immigration enforcement as part of a wider effort to restore public order.
Colombia has in recent years been both a transit and destination country for migrants, many of them Venezuelan nationals. The new administration's approach marks a notable shift from the posture of the outgoing Petro government on migration policy.
Reportado por El Paisa, nuestro corresponsal colombiano.