Trump administration considers shutting down key EU consulates
Hamburg, Strasbourg, and Florence have been placed on the list of American consulates that the administration of Donald Trump is considering closing, Reuters reported, citing State Department officials. Most of the facilities that may cease operations are located in Western Europe.
The list includes Leipzig, Hamburg, and Düsseldorf in Germany; Bordeaux, Rennes, Lyon, and Strasbourg in France; Florence in Italy; Ponta Delgada in Portugal; and Belo Horizonte in Brazil. Officials familiar with these plans have stated that the list is not final.
The Department of State is also considering merging its offices at its headquarters in Washington, particularly those focused on human rights, the refugee crisis, women's rights issues, and actions aimed at counteracting human trafficking.
In February, Reuters reported that American diplomatic missions were asked to consider reducing both American and locally employed staff by at least 10 per cent.
In the same month, US President Donald Trump issued an executive order aimed at reorganising the American Foreign Service. This decision is related to the activities of the State Efficiency Department (DOGE), headed by billionaire Elon Musk.
The USA will close a facility in Turkey that aids Syria
On Monday, the State Department notified Congress of plans to close its facility in the city of Gaziantep in southeastern Turkey. It supported humanitarian efforts in northern Syria.
According to information published on the State Department's website, there are over 270 American diplomatic facilities worldwide, employing nearly 70,000 staff. Of these, approximately 45,000 are locally employed staff, 13,000 are Foreign Service members, and 11,000 are civil service employees.
