The United States may deport over 200,000 Ukrainians: Trump's plan raises concerns

The threat of mass deportations has resurfaced in the United States: according to The Washington Post, the Donald Trump administration has developed a plan for the voluntary return to their countries of origin of hundreds of thousands of migrants, including over 200,000 Ukrainians. The plan provides for the payment of $1,000 to anyone who agrees to leave the United States.

According to internal documents from the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS), in addition to Ukrainians, the plan could also affect about 500,000 Haitians, as well as refugees from Afghanistan, Palestine, Libya, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. At the same time, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) does not support the idea of ​​returning people to any of these countries due to the high risks to their lives and safety.

Critics of the initiative, including former senior officials, call it inhumane and contrary to American democratic ideals. In their opinion, forcing asylum seekers to return to conflict zones is not only morally unacceptable, but may also be an inefficient use of budget funds intended to support refugees.

According to documents obtained by journalists, the deportation program is to be financed by the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM) of the US State Department. The draft indicates that funds allocated by Congress, including for charter flights or tickets on commercial airlines, will be used to implement the plan.

While DHS said the documents reviewed by WP were outdated, the department recently signed an agreement with the State Department that would allocate $250 million in foreign aid funds to help refugees return to their home countries, including those in areas of active conflict.

Ukrainians and Haitians are currently under temporary protection under the Biden administration. The Ukrainians were granted temporary protection in 2022, following the start of a full-scale Russian invasion, while Haitians have been under temporary protection since 2010, when an earthquake devastated much of the country and killed thousands. Neither group can safely return home, and the status has been extended several times due to ongoing humanitarian and security threats.