Colombia orders deportation operations targeting irregular migrants and foreign crime suspects

Presidential directive in Barranquilla

Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella ordered the national police and migration authorities to begin deportation operations against irregular migrants and foreigners accused of crimes. De la Espriella made the announcement on 23 August 2026 during a security council meeting in Barranquilla, a Caribbean city he established as an alternative presidential seat. Two weeks into his term, the president directed joint operations between Migración Colombia and local police to start within days. In his speech, he adopted an America First style slogan, declaring that national policy will prioritize Colombians first, second, and third. Alongside immigration enforcement, De la Espriella designated all armed groups involved in drug trafficking, illegal mining, extortion, and smuggling as terrorists subject to state force.

I will not accept illegal immigrants, wherever they come from, who are committing misdeeds in Colombia. That is a political decision. I assume it. It is an administrative decision. I assume it. Here I will not accept illegal migration. First Colombians, second Colombians, and third Colombians.

Impact on the Venezuelan diaspora

The deportation order directly affects Colombia's foreign population, which totals three million people, including 2.8 million Venezuelan migrants who represent roughly 6% of the national population. Official records from Migración Colombia show that more than 527,000 Venezuelans currently reside in the country without regularized immigration status. Legal advocates and community organizations reported immediate concern across the diaspora following the announcement. César González, an immigration attorney based in Colombia, reported receiving uncounted inquiries from Venezuelan nationals seeking legal clarity on their residency status. The policy announcement follows an ongoing recovery from a magnitude 7.4 earthquake on 10 August 2026, which killed over 300 people and destroyed more than 30,000 homes.

We have not even been able to count the number of people who have called us to see what their options are.

Logistical barriers and legal status

Immigration researchers and non-governmental organizations pointed to structural obstacles that complicate large-scale expulsions along the 2,200-kilometer border shared with Venezuela. Ronal Rodríguez, a researcher at the Universidad del Rosario Venezuela Observatory, explained that Colombian law does not classify irregular migration status as a criminal offense. Rodríguez stated that the Colombian state lacks the logistical capacity and financial resources to sustain mass expulsions across dozens of informal border crossings. In addition, Migración Colombia confirmed that its newly appointed director has not yet taken office to implement national deportation directives. Mara Sánchez, director general of the non-governmental organization Fraternidad Venezolana, stated that previous regularization programs left many migrants without documentation after earlier permit schemes stalled.

Cabinet clarification and municipal security

Interior Minister Rodrigo Lara sought to narrow the scope of the presidential announcement during television appearances on Caracol News. Lara stated that the deportation orders do not target Venezuelan nationals who previously received temporary protective status from the Colombian government. Meanwhile, immigration attorney Ana Karina García cited official statistics showing that foreign nationals account for no more than 2% of recorded crimes in Colombia. In Barranquilla, De la Espriella ordered immediate local security measures, including an informant network, a reward system, targeted raids, and prison transfers to halt extortion schemes operating from detention facilities.