In a turbulent year like 2025, Colombia has avoided the rise of xenophobia against Venezuelan immigrants, unlike other countries. Public policies have facilitated their integration into the labor market and social services. This reception reflects elementary decency, according to author Rodrigo Botero Montoya.
The year 2025 has been turbulent with conflicts and concerns, but in a Christmas spirit, it is fitting to highlight a positive aspect: the absence of xenophobia in Colombia toward Venezuelan immigration. Rodrigo Botero Montoya, in his column, recalls how President Alfonso López pointed out his tendency to worry about misfortunes that never happen. He feared the migrant flow would spark rejection, but it did not.
Immigration has gained global prominence. In the United Kingdom, anti-immigrant sentiment drove Brexit, now viewed as a costly error by the majority. Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, pushes for migration restrictions. Far-right parties in Europe reject immigration. In the United States, Stephen Miller advocates for mass expulsion of immigrants. In Chile, president-elect José Antonio Kast plans to deport 340,000 undocumented individuals.
Colombia, due to Venezuela's economic collapse and political repression, received nearly three million Venezuelans between 2017 and 2023, some irregularly. Instead, policies were implemented for their access to services and employment. Botero Montoya references the Sherlock Holmes story where 'the dog did not bark,' symbolizing the calamity that did not occur. This response exemplifies Albert Camus's 'elementary decency,' lifting spirits at year's end.
