Colombia Expels 310 Foreigners for Immigration Violations in Early 2026

Colombian immigration authorities carried out 310 administrative deportation and expulsion measures against foreigners in the early months of 2026, according to a report by Migración Colombia. The report highlights that deportation is an official measure compelling a foreign citizen to leave the country after violating immigration rules, while expulsion is a more severe sanction applied when an individual poses a direct threat to national security or public order, or attempts to enter the country irregularly.

Key reasons for these sanctions include representing a risk to national security, presenting altered or fraudulent documents, violating immigration laws, engaging in unauthorized activities, or having an existing expulsion order or international alerts. Of the total sanctioned foreigners, 157 faced deportation, and 153 faced expulsion.

The majority of these cases stemmed from irregularities related to entering, staying in, or exiting Colombian territory. These infractions were most concentrated in the regional offices of Nariño, Oriente, Atlántico, Eje Cafetero, and Antioquia, as well as the Andean Region, which includes Bogotá and surrounding departments. The article notes that the distinction between deportation and expulsion lies in the severity of the offense and its cause, with expulsion being the more stringent measure.