History of public policy

Colombia Visión 2019. This document mentions the need to design a foreign policy in line with a changing world. It recognizes the importance of strengthening links with Colombians abroad and encouraging their contributions to the development of the nation.

2010 - 2014 Development Plan “Prosperity for All”: This policy document notes that “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as the cornerstone of the comprehensive migration policy, will aim to strengthen the policy based on the principle of consistency in the treatment of domestic migrants or foreign nationals and their families, giving priority to the issue of migration in all agencies involved at national, department and municipal level, promoting inter-agency work that ensures effective and efficient social impact” Similarly, it notes that the design of the comprehensive migration policy should follow these strategies:

1. Characterization of the migrant population (with emphasis on those related to remittances and their uses).
2. Creation and consolidation of social networks.
3. Management of labor migration flows, bilaterally.
4. Attracting human capital.
5. Expansion of social services for migrants.
6. Strategies to facilitate and accompany the return of Colombians abroad.
7. Strategies for international cooperation on migration that allow the positive experiences of Colombia to be appreciated and facilitate further development of the project.

Comprehensive Immigration Policy

Recognizing the need to move towards a State policy that unifies the existing measures and based on the recognition of Colombians abroad as a vital part of the Nation, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs established, as one of the goals of Foreign Policy, the design a Comprehensive Migration Policy (PIM) as one of the goals of Foreign Policy, to include all Government actors involved in the migration process.

Tthe following steps were defined  for the design and monitoring of the implementation of the comprehensive migration policy:

1. Development of the guidelines of the Comprehensive Immigration Policy (PIM). The first stage was conducted jointly with a group of scholars from the Centre for Social Studies of the Universidad Nacional de Colombia.
2. Socialization of the PIM guidelines with the Colombian community abroad and other stakeholders. The second stage involved bringing the Guidelines to the attention of the National Intersectoral Commission on Migration and the Colombian community in key receiving countries. The development of this stage consisted of socialization meetings of the PIM Guidelines with the Colombian community in: Quito (26 July 2008); New York (7 - 9 August 2008); Caracas (13 September 2008); Miami (18 October 2008); and Madrid (25 October 2008). Recommendations from these meetings with the Colombian community abroad were key input in drafting the Conpes document on Comprehensive Immigration Policy.
3. Institutionalization of PIM. (Preparation, Adoption and Monitoring Conpes Document on PIM). As part of the third stage, progress was made with the National Planning Department (DNP) in preparing the CONPES Document on the Comprehensive Immigration Policy. In January 2009, the draft was submitted to the CONPES Preliminary Meeting and in August of that same year the final document was formally presented to CONPES for approval. Since then, DNP and the Colombia Nos Une programme, have been monitoring the commitments set out in CONPES 3603 Document (Comprehensive Immigration Policy)