New Colombian president announces anti-migrant crackdown

Colombia's right-wing President Abelardo de la Espriella has ordered an immigration crackdown, instructing authorities to begin detaining undocumented foreigners convicted of crimes with a view to deporting them.

The hardline lawyer took office on August 7 after campaigning to fight crime and drug-trafficking guerrillas.

Immigration was not a central theme of his campaign but in video footage of him chairing a security meeting in his Caribbean stronghold of Barranquilla on Sunday, he said: "I will not accept illegal migrants, no matter where they come from."

"The order to Immigration (authorities) is clear: first those who are committing crimes, second those who have not regularized their status and who will have to be deported in due course."

He said deportation procedures would start this week by presidential order.

Colombia has been the main port of call for Venezuelans fleeing the economic crisis across the border in their country over the past decade.

According to Colombia's immigration department, about 2.8 million Venezuelans were living in Colombia as of June of this year. Of these, more than 527,000 are undocumented.

Previous right-wing leaders have been tolerant of Venezuelan migrants, seeing them as victims of the socialist policies of ousted president Nicolas Maduro and his firebrand predecessor Hugo Chavez.

Prior to the crisis in Venezuela, Colombia had been a country of emigration rather than immigration, with six decades of armed conflict sending millions fleeing abroad, some choosing Venezuela.

In his first days in office, which coincided with a powerful earthquake that left over 300 people dead in western Colombia, De la Espriella cast himself as a unifier.

In Sunday's meeting, however, he echoed the "America First" agenda of US President Donald Trump, of whom he is an avid fan.

"Colombians first, Colombians second, Colombians third, may that be clear to everyone," De la Espriella said.

Reacting to his announcement, left-wing senator and activist Maria Jose Pizarro accused him of proposing "a Colombian ICE" and said his deportation directive was "pure xenophobia and hatred of the poor."

"Migration is not a crime, it's a human right," she said, adding that "behind every migrant is a story of survival."

On social media, Colombians appeared divided.

Many applauded the measure, accusing migrants, particularly from Venezuela, of driving up crime rates.

But others defended Venezuelan migrants as hard working and noted their contribution to the economy.

De la Espriella is part of a right-wing tide unfurling across Latin America, fueled in part by anger over a rise in violent crime, which voters in many countries blame on Venezuelan gangs.