Colombia Offers Incentives for Migrants to Return From US

Colombia President Gustavo Petro has called on undocumented Colombians living in the United States to return home, promising government support for those who do so.
The initiative, announced on Petro’s X account last Friday, comes as Colombia navigates a diplomatic standoff with the U.S. over deportation flights and trade tariffs.
Newsweek reached out to the Office of the Presidency of Colombia and the Colombian Department of Social Prosperity via email and WhatsApp for comment on Friday.
Why It Matters
Two Colombian Air Force planes carrying deportees from the U.S. landed at El Dorado International Airport in Bogotá on Tuesday, following a weekend standoff between U.S. President Donald Trump and Petro.
On Sunday, Petro refused to accept two U.S. military planes carrying migrants, prompting Trump to threaten 25 percent tariffs on Colombian exports. The standoff ended when Colombia agreed to accept the migrants on the condition that they were not flown back on military aircraft—a move Petro argued was necessary to preserve the deportees’ dignity.
Trump made immigration a central theme of his successful presidential campaign, and Americans largely support his mass deportation plans. A New York Times/Ipsos poll carried out from January 2 to 10 found 55 percent of voters strongly or somewhat supported deportations. Eighty-eight percent supported