00:00Could Colombia lose the international recognition it gained for its policy?
00:04Immigration? De las Friella proposes operations against foreigners and deportations for those who
00:09are in an irregular situation. For almost a decade, Colombia maintained a policy of
00:13regularization, reception and integration of the Venezuelan population, which turned the country into
00:19an international benchmark in the face of one of the world's biggest migration crises. However,
00:24The government of Abelardo de las Friella is now proposing a change of course. The president announced
00:28coordinated operations between the Police and Migration Colombia to identify, first of all,
00:34to foreigners involved in crimes and, subsequently, to those who remain in the
00:38country without having regularized their immigration status. The decision could have a particularly significant impact
00:43important information about the Venezuelan population. Although the government has not directly mentioned
00:47Venezuela is the target of these operations; Venezuelans represent nearly 90% of the
00:53Migrant population living in Colombia. According to figures from Migración Colombia, around 2.8%
00:58Millions of Venezuelans are in the country, and approximately 848,000 are in a migration situation.
01:04irregular. Among them are approximately 193,000 minors. The announcement represents a change
01:10in contrast to the policy that Colombia maintained during the last few years. Since the creation of the Statute
01:15Temporary Protection Program for Venezuelan Migrants, implemented during the government of Iván Duque,
01:20More than 2.3 million temporary protection permits were issued. This regularization strategy
01:26It was internationally recognized as one of the leading models of integration of peoples
01:30immigrants in the region. The then UNHCR High Commissioner, Filippo Grandi, highlighted the policy.
01:36Colombia's temporary protection program for Venezuelans serves as an international example and a compassionate response
01:41and pragmatic in the face of the migration crisis. The approach now announced by the "friegas" (a derogatory term for a group of people who struggle with their work)
01:46It's different. The president justifies the operations as a targeted security strategy.
01:51to locate foreigners who commit crimes and to identify those who do not have legal status
01:56their immigration status. Furthermore, he has raised the issue of deporting undocumented migrants.
02:00as one of its promises and presents this policy as part of a change from the approach of
02:05previous government. According to the Center for Studies on Security and Drugs, CESED of the
02:10At the University of the Andes, being in an irregular migratory status means that a person has not regularized their immigration status.
02:15their stay in the country in accordance with current regulations, but this administrative condition
02:20That alone does not imply that a crime has been committed. Part of that irregularity may be related
02:25with the lack of continuity in the regularization mechanisms, which left some migrants
02:29in an administrative limbo. That's why irregular immigration status and criminality cannot
02:34to be understood as if they were the same, a distinction that has also been pointed out by experts in
02:39to the government's proposal. For now, the government has not explained in detail how they will be implemented.
02:44These operations, what will be the criteria for identifying people and what procedures
02:49They will apply to those in an irregular immigration situation. The details are also unknown.
02:54mechanisms that will allow differentiation between the commission of a crime and an immigration situation
02:58irregular, two conditions that are not equivalent and that require different procedures.
03:03What the announcement does mark is a significant shift in the debate on immigration policy.
03:07in Colombia. For years, the country's response to the Venezuelan exodus was focused
03:12in regularization as a tool to facilitate access to rights and promote integration.
03:17Now, the Las Friella government is proposing an approach that gives greater priority to control.
03:22immigration, security and deportations of people who have not regularized their status.
03:28Do you think this change in immigration policy can contribute to improving security in
03:32Is there a risk in Colombia that stigmatization against the migrant population will increase?
03:36We read it in the comments.
03:47Thank you.
03:48Thank you.
03:48Thank you.
03:49Thank you.
03:49Thank you.
03:49Thank you.
03:50Thank you.
03:51Thank you.
03:51Thank you.
03:51Thank you.
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