“I wish we had to flee, but there are things that escape our hands,” said one of the deportees.
News Colombia.
In the last hours, a group of Colombians deported from the United States arrived in the country, transferred on flights managed by the Colombian Aerospace force (FAC).
The testimonies offered by migrants reflect the harsh reality they faced when trying to cross the border and the conditions to which they were submitted during their detention and deportation process.
“Yesterday they laughed on our faces, they told us’ dad Trump in the house, all deported‘”, Said José Montaña, one of the deportees, visibly affected by the experience.
According to his story, the treatment received was humiliating, with conditions that he described as inhumas.
He described how people with health problems, such as a woman with heart conditions, were transported in high altitude airplanes without medical considerations, which even caused an emergency stop in Houston.
José reported that both he and the other deportees were handcuffed from the ankles to the hip, treated as criminals, while children saw their mothers chained. “They handcuffed us as if we were drug traffickers, but we were people looking for a better future for our families”, Said indignantly.
#Bogotá | “They treated us as criminals; it was an inhuman treatment. We were handcuffed. I crossed the border last week; here, I have nothing,” said one of the US deported Colombians. Uu. pic.twitter.com/selympvnz
– RCN Radio (@rcnradio) January 28, 2025
Another migrant, who preferred not to give his full name, highlighted the lack of information and rights during the process. “They forced us to sign documents without explaining anything, we had no choice. They treated us as if we were the problem, when in reality immigrants help build that country”
In contrast, the deportees thanked the treatment received by the Colombian authorities during their return. “Since we entered the Air Force plane, they told us that we were already at home. They treated us as people”, Said Andrés, another deported, highlighting the difference in the attitude of the national authorities against the Americans.
What they think about what Trump said
The president of the United States, Donald Trump, has defended deportations as part of his immigration policies, qualifying some of those deported as “drug traffickers” and “criminals”
However, these statements have been rejected by migrants, who believe that these statements are unfair and generalized. “ANDs a slander. We are not criminals, we are people who flee from violence and seek a better future”Said one of the returnees.
According to some testimonies, the US authorities used high -tech methods to monitor and capture those tried to cross the border, such as drones and trained dogs.
About 7:40 am on Tuesday they landed at the Catam airport, in Bogotá, two Colombian Air Force planes with 110 migrants who were deported from the United States: “They simply deport us, they tell us nothing.”
More in https://t.co/yqnezk7zob pic.twitter.com/peqh1wbks6
– Caracol news (@NoticiasCaracol) January 28, 2025
During the detention process, they were removed all their belongings, documents and telephones, leaving them completely vulnerable.
Despite the difficult circumstances, several of those deported expressed thanks to the Colombian government for facilitating a decent return.
However, they called on the authorities to address the causes that led them to leave the country in the first place. “I wish we did not have to flee, but there are situations that are out of our control”Mountain said.
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