Colombia president orders illegal migrant deportations

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Colombia’s right-wing President Abelardo de la Espriella has ordered a crackdown on illegal migration, instructing authorities to begin detaining undocumented foreigners convicted of crimes with a view to deporting them, a video showed Monday.

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In the leaked video of De la Espriella addressing a security cabinet meeting Sunday in his Caribbean stronghold of Barranquilla, he is heard saying: “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.”

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“I will not accept illegal migrants, no matter where they come from,” he said, announcing the start of deportation procedures “this week” under what he called a presidential order.

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The hardline lawyer took office on August 7 with an agenda to fight crime and drug-trafficking guerrillas.

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He put that plan on hold in the wake of a powerful August 10 earthquake, which left over 300 people dead in the west of the country and destroyed thousands of homes.

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In Sunday’s meeting, he echoed the “America First” agenda of US President Donald Trump, of whom he is an avid fan.

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“Colombians, first, Colombians second, Colombians third, may that be clear to everyone,” De la Espriella said.

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Colombia is home to an estimated three million Venezuelans, who fled their country’s economic and political crisis across the border over the past decade.

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Previous right-wing leaders have been tolerant of Venezuelan migrants, seeing them as victims of socialist president Nicolas Maduro, who was ousted by US forces in January.

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AFP

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