Colombia Declines U.S. Deportation Flights Amid Dignity Demands

In a significant stance against U.S. deportation policies, Colombian President Gustavo Petro declared that his nation will not allow deportation flights from the United States until a dignified process for handling Colombian migrants is established.

Colombia's President Gustavo Petro made headlines on Sunday when he announced that the nation will no longer accept any deportation flights from the United States unless migrants are treated with “dignity and respect.” Speaking via social media platform X, he expressed serious concerns about the treatment of Colombian migrants, stating that they should not be treated as criminals by the U.S. government.

Petro mentioned that Colombia had already turned away military planes carrying its own people, highlighting his administration's stand against the deportation policies set forth by the Trump administration since it took office last week. He noted, “I cannot make migrants stay in a country that does not want them, but if that country sends them back, it should be with dignity and respect for them and for our country.”

While many Latin American nations have expressed apprehension regarding the broad scope of the Trump administration's deportation plans, Colombia has taken the unprecedented step of outright refusing cooperation. The Colombian president did indicate a willingness to accept deportees via civilian flights while firmly denying military aircraft entry into the country, reinforcing that “a migrant is not a criminal.”

Details on how many flights have been turned away or the legality of refusing to accept its own citizens were not disclosed. However, confirmation came from a presidential representative acknowledging that military planes had indeed been rejected. Petro's remarks followed discussions regarding reports of “inhumane” treatment of deported individuals, including instances captured in footage showing restrained deportees arriving in Brazil from the U.S.

As countries worldwide brace for the implications of mass deportations threatened by President Trump, Colombia's firm stance places it at odds with the current U.S. administration's immigration strategy. Just last week, Guatemala City received two military jets carrying deported migrants, marking one of the first nations to acquiesce to the Trump administration’s deportation agreements.