President De la Espriella orders detention and deportation of irregular migrants linked to crime
Less than three weeks into office, President Abelardo de la Espriella has directed police and migration authorities to begin joint operations this week targeting irregular migrants and those implicated in criminal activity.
President Abelardo de la Espriella, who took office on 7 August 2026, has ordered Colombia's security forces and migration authority to detain and deport migrants who are in the country with irregular status or who are implicated in criminal activities.
According to his statement, joint police-migration operations are set to begin this week. The directive prioritizes those who commit crimes as well as those who have not regularized their immigration status, who will face immediate deportation under the new policy.
The announcement marks one of the new administration's first major security and migration moves and is already drawing attention across the region, where several governments have been grappling with large-scale migration flows in recent years.
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