Trump's foreign aid shift: Voluntary deportation plan unveiled
The Donald Trump administration plans to use foreign aid funds to finance voluntary deportations, which could affect 200,000 Ukrainians.
President Donald Trump's administration has developed a plan to utilise $250 million (€222 million) from the foreign aid fund for a voluntary deportation programme from the USA.
As reported by the "Washington Post," this programme could involve, among others, 200,000 Ukrainians and 500,000 Haitians.
Who may be included in the programme?
The plan stipulates that individuals who fled conflict regions will be able to voluntarily return to their countries. Potential participants in the programme include not only Ukrainians and Haitians but also Afghans, Palestinians, Libyans, Sudanese, Syrians, and Yemenis.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced that immigrants residing in the country without the proper permits might receive $1,000 (€890) if they apply via a special app and voluntarily leave the USA. The department claims that this solution will reduce deportation costs, which currently average $17,000 (€15,000) per person.
Controversies surrounding the plan
The Trump administration's proposal has sparked controversy because it bypasses the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), which does not support returns to countries affected by conflict. Critics argue that encouraging people to return to dangerous places is inhumane and may constitute an abuse of funds intended for foreign aid.
The Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman, Tricia McLaughlin, described the documents related to the plan as "outdated" and added that no final decision has yet been made regarding the protective status for Ukrainians and Haitians.
Reactions and actions
Last week, the Department of Homeland Security and the State Department reached an agreement regarding the programme, but specific nationalities were not mentioned. On Monday, U.S. authorities sent the first 64 people back to Honduras and Colombia as part of the voluntary deportation programme.
The voluntary deportation plan is part of President Trump's broader campaign against illegal immigration. As part of this campaign, the U.S. administration has also sent hundreds of foreigners to a terrorist prison in El Salvador, citing 18th-century warfare regulations.
