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<\/figure>\n\n\n\nDeportation policy<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The doubts were quickly dispelled when it became clear that the new president appeared to have only one proposal to offer: an aggressive, tough-on-crime approach centered on deportations. At the end of August, in a statement<\/a>, De La Espriella announced what his approach would be. Although brief, his remarks contained statements that should not be overlooked. First, he issued an order to Migraci\u00f3n Colombia, publicly and in real time, to begin deportation \u201coperations\u201d targeting migrants. The president stated that deportations had been a \u201ccampaign position\u201d that he was now honoring as head of government.<\/p>\n\n\n\n De La Espriella warned that his order would prioritize people who had committed crimes, followed by those in an irregular immigration status, regardless of their national origin. The president stated unequivocally that he would not accept \u201cillegal immigrants\u201d and that deportations would have to be carried out \u201cas quickly as possible.\u201d In his remarks, he added: \u201cColombians first, Colombians second, and Colombians third<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n And what about migrants?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The statement about prioritizing Colombians, which might seem self-evident, takes on a deeply discouraging meaning when read in the context of the orders issued. It points to what the migration agenda for the current four-year term could look like\u2014and the reality is that there is no such agenda. There are no proposals to address these individuals\u2019 needs for inclusion and integration. The only playbook available is the one currently in vogue across the region: the criminalization and exclusion of migrants through detection, detention, and deportation (the three Ds).<\/p>\n\n\n\n This discourse, which may appeal to certain sectors of the population, has adverse consequences for migrants in the country. It spreads fear among them about interacting with the authorities, for fear of being sent back to the countries they left and to which, for various reasons, they cannot or do not wish to return.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One might think that De La Espriella\u2019s statement is just that: words without consequences. Nothing could be further from the truth. Following the announcement, Migraci\u00f3n Colombia began publicly announcing on its social media accounts that certain groups of migrants would be \u201cexpelled from the country.\u201d Meanwhile, migrants began seeking information<\/a> about how to regularize their status and what to do in the event of deportation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNo to illegal immigrants\u201d and the criminalization of migration<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The president\u2019s message lumps together people with criminal records (criminal offenses) and those who are in the country irregularly (administrative violations). In the first case, these are people who have been prosecuted for committing crimes in Colombia. This is plainly different from the second scenario, which involves people who entered Colombia without meeting the established requirements or who, despite having met them, have remained in the country beyond the period authorized.<\/p>\n\n\n\n