COLOMBIAN PRESIDENT VOWS MASS DEPORTATIONS OF MIGRANTS WITHOUT LEGAL STATUS IN CRIME CRACKDOWN. (PHOTO).

 Colombian president vows mass deportations of migrants without legal status in crime crackdown

   Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella is promising to deport thousands of migrants living in the country without legal residence, primarily Venezuelans, as his administration moves toward a major shift in immigration policy that he says will help reduce crime.

De la Espriella, who took office three weeks ago, said Colombia’s immigration authorities could begin conducting raids alongside police as early as this week. He announced the planned measures in a video posted Sunday night, outlining a broader effort to combat crime and criminal organizations.

The conservative president, who has closely aligned himself with U.S. President Donald Trump, said authorities would first focus on migrants accused of committing crimes before turning their attention to those living in Colombia without legal immigration status.

“I will not accept any illegal immigrants, wherever they come from,” de la Espriella said, adding that those individuals would be required to leave the country and face deportation.

The policy would represent a significant change for Colombia, which for years adopted measures aimed at protecting Venezuelans fleeing their country’s political and economic crisis and provided them with opportunities to obtain legal residency.

Venezuelans make up the vast majority of migrants in Colombia. About 2.8 million Venezuelans were living in the country as of August, making Colombia home to the world’s largest Venezuelan migrant population.

Colombia has previously offered temporary residency protections to Venezuelans. About 2.3 million Venezuelans had received temporary residence permits under a program introduced in 2021 during the height of the migration crisis.

Immigration advocates argue that the government should expand legal pathways for migrants rather than deport people who lack residency permits. They say Colombia stopped issuing new temporary residency permits about three years ago, leaving some migrants with limited options for obtaining legal status.

Ana Karina García, who leads an organization assisting Venezuelan migrants, said the government’s desire to protect Colombians should not come at the expense of migrants, arguing that foreigners do not commit crimes at higher rates than Colombians.

The proposed crackdown has also created concern among Venezuelan community leaders, particularly as additional migrants continue arriving in Colombia. Arles Pereda, who heads an organization representing Venezuelans in Bogotá, said recent arrivals include people displaced by twin earthquakes that struck Venezuela in June.

Pereda said migrants increasingly feel that opportunities for legal residence are disappearing across the region, pointing to similar restrictions in Chile, Peru and Ecuador, where conservative governments have also tightened immigration policies.

Colombia’s immigration agency said it is currently operating without a director and will not begin implementing the new measures until a new director is appointed and takes office.

The timing and scope of the planned deportations therefore remain uncertain, but de la Espriella’s announcement signals a major departure from Colombia’s previous approach toward Venezuelan migrants.