Colombian President's Order to Deport 'Illegal' Migrants Creates Uncertainty for Venezuelans
- Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella ordered operations against illegal immigrants, causing uncertainty among Venezuelans residing in the country.
- There are over 527,000 Venezuelans in Colombia without regularized immigration status.
- The Colombian government has not yet appointed a new director for Migration Colombia, who will implement deportation decisions.
- Venezuelans fear an increase in xenophobia following the president's focus on illegal immigration.
- Advocates are calling for dialogue with the government to reopen pathways for regularization of Venezuelan migrants.
Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella's order to initiate operations against illegal immigrants has generated significant uncertainty among the Venezuelan population residing in Colombia, particularly those who have not yet regularized their immigration status. The president stated that coordinated operations would be launched with police to identify illegal immigrants, prioritizing those committing crimes and those without regularized status.
According to official figures, Colombia hosts 2.8 million Venezuelan migrants, the largest number in the region, while over 527,000 Venezuelans are reported to be in the country without complying with immigration regulations. Legal experts have noted a high level of concern among Venezuelans about their options for regularization.
The Colombian government has yet to appoint a new director for Migration Colombia, who will be responsible for implementing national decisions regarding control operations and deportations. Advocates for Venezuelan migrants are urging the government to reopen pathways for regularization, emphasizing that without a proper methodology, pursuing migrants for their status could lead to increased xenophobia and social tensions.
哥伦比亚总统下令驱逐“非法”移民引发委内瑞拉人不安
哥伦比亚总统阿贝拉多·德拉埃斯普里埃拉下令开展针对非法移民的行动，这在居住在哥伦比亚的委内瑞拉人中引发了重大不安，尤其是那些尚未合法化移民身份的人。总统表示，将与警方协调开展行动，以识别非法移民，优先处理犯罪分子和未获得合法身份的人。
根据官方数据，哥伦比亚接纳了280万名委内瑞拉移民，是该地区最多的，而有超过527,000名委内瑞拉人在该国未遵守移民规定。法律专家指出，委内瑞拉人对其合法化的选择感到高度担忧。
哥伦比亚政府尚未任命新的移民局局长，该局长将负责实施国家关于控制行动和驱逐的决定。委内瑞拉移民的倡导者呼吁政府重新开放合法化途径，强调如果没有适当的方法，追捕移民的身份可能会导致仇外情绪和社会紧张局势的加剧。