Colombia’s President, Abelardo de la Espriella, has ordered authorities to begin detaining undocumented foreigners convicted of crimes, with a view to deporting them, according to a video seen on Monday.

In the video, De la Espriella, who was addressing a security cabinet meeting on Sunday in his Caribbean stronghold of Barranquilla, said immigration authorities had been given clear instructions to target undocumented migrants.

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.

“I will not accept illegal migrants, no matter where they come from,” De la Espriella added, announcing that deportation procedures would begin “this week” under what he described as a presidential order.

The hardline lawyer took office on August 7 with an agenda focused on tackling crime and drug-trafficking guerrillas.

He, however, suspended the plan following a powerful earthquake on August 10 that killed more than 300 people in western Colombia and destroyed thousands of homes.

At Sunday’s security meeting, De la Espriella echoed the “America First” agenda of US President Donald Trump, whom he has openly supported.

“Colombians, first, Colombians second, Colombians third, may that be clear to everyone,” he said.

Colombia is home to an estimated three million Venezuelans who have fled their country’s economic and political crisis over the past decade.

Previous right-wing Colombian leaders had largely tolerated Venezuelan migrants, viewing them as victims of the socialist government of President Nicolas Maduro, who was ousted by US forces in January.