First Deportees Land In Colombia From US

BOGOTA, Jan 29 (Bernama-Xinhua) -- Two Colombian Aerospace Force planes with migrants deported from the United States landed Tuesday in the country's capital Bogota, reported Xinhua, quoting Colombian President Gustavo Petro.

The Colombian nationals were picked up in Houston, Texas, and San Diego, California, on the instructions of Petro.

"They are Colombians, they are free and dignified and they are in their homeland where they are loved. The migrant is not a criminal, he is a human being who wants to work and progress," Petro posted on the social platform X, along with photos of the Colombian nationals walking out of planes.

Petro on Sunday denied entry of US military aircraft carrying the deportees, saying they were being treated like criminals. The move sparked a harsh response from his US counterpart Donald Trump, who threatened to cancel the visas of all Colombian government officials and slap 50 per cent tariffs on imports from Colombia.

The two sides then reached an agreement that Colombian planes would transport the deportees without handcuffs, under safe and dignified conditions, as requested by Colombia's government.

Among the deported Colombians were 26 minors, the Colombian Institute of Family Welfare said.

Colombian immigration officials and medical personnel travelled with the deportees, who are to benefit from a special credit programme to help them reintegrate into Colombian society.

In the coming days, the Colombian Aerospace Force is expected to bring back more undocumented migrants as the new US administration cracked down on irregular migration.

--BERNAMA-XINHUA