Colombia’s right-wing President Abelardo de la Espriella has ordered an immigration crackdown, instructing authorities to begin detaining undocumented foreigners convicted of crimes with a view to deporting them.
Previous right-wing leaders have been tolerant of Venezuelan migrants, seeing them as victims of the socialist policies of ousted president Nicolas Maduro and his firebrand predecessor Hugo Chavez. About 2.8 million Venezuelans were living in Colombia as of June of this year, according to Colombia’s immigration department. Of these, more than 527,000 are undocumented.
He said deportation procedures would start this week by presidential order. In Sunday’s meeting, however, he echoed the “America First” agenda of US President Donald Trump, of whom he is an avid fan. “Colombians first, Colombians second, Colombians third, may that be clear to everyone,” De la Espriella said.
Immigration was not a central theme of his campaign but in video footage of him chairing a security meeting in his Caribbean stronghold of Barranquilla on Sunday, he said: “I will not accept illegal migrants, no matter where they come from.
Reacting to his announcement, left-wing senator and activist Maria Jose Pizarro accused him of proposing “a Colombian ICE” and said his deportation directive was “pure xenophobia and hatred of the poor.”
