US prepares mechanism for deportation of 200 thousand Ukrainians

Trump's administration has prepared a plan to deport 200,000 Ukrainians from the US, Reuters photo

The administration of US President Donald Trump plans to use $250 million allocated for foreign aid to implement a programme «for the voluntary deportation of» migrants, including 200,000 Ukrainians.

This was reported by the Washington Post, citing internal documents seen by journalists.

According to the newspaper, the initiative arose after a statement by the US Department of Homeland Security on 5 May, which said that migrants who agree to «self-deportation» would be able to receive financial assistance in the amount of $1,000.

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During the presidency of Joe Biden, Ukrainians and Haitians were granted temporary protection, which allowed them to stay in the United States because they could not safely return to their home country.

The documents also contain information about 200,000 Ukrainian and 500,000 Haitian migrants currently in the United States. In addition to them, the draft mentions Afghans, Palestinians, Libyans, Sudanese, Syrians, and Yemenis who may be included in the programme.

US Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin confirmed the authenticity of the documents, but called them «outdated». According to her, Secretary Christie Noem has not yet made a final decision on the status of temporary protection for Ukrainian and Haitian citizens.

The programme will be funded by the US State Department's Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration (PRM), using funds allocated by Congress to organise charter flights or purchase commercial airline tickets.

The State Department confirmed that it is working with the Department of Homeland Security to create «travel support and financial incentives» to encourage migrants to voluntarily leave the United States.

Earlier , U.S. President Donald Trump commented on Reuters ' information about Washington's possible plans to deprive 240,000 Ukrainian refugees of their temporary legal status, which could lead to their deportation. Donald Trump emphasised that a decision on this issue has not yet been made, and it will take into account the interests of Ukrainians.

As a reminder, the European Parliament has adopted a resolution on the return of Ukrainian children deported or forcibly transferred by Russia. The document emphasises that a genuine peace agreement cannot be reached without the return of abducted children.