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Trump pushes for peace in Ukraine, but prepares deportation of 700,000 refugees

A secret administration plan calls for voluntary repatriation of Ukrainians, Haitians and other migrants from war zones, financed with foreign aid funds

As U.S. President Donald Trump intensifies diplomatic efforts to facilitate a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, his administration is in parallel preparing a plan that could lead to the voluntary repatriation of some 700,000 refugees. This was revealed by the Washington Post, which gained access to confidential internal documents.

According to reports, the administration plans to use $250 million, originally earmarked for foreign aid, to finance the costs of a “self-deportation” campaign. The plan would involve citizens from countries affected by conflict and humanitarian crises, including Ukraine, Haiti, Afghanistan, Palestine, Libya, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.

The initiative precedes the May 5 announcement about offering $1,000 to migrants willing to sign up for a government application to initiate voluntary repatriation. The document cited above specifies that the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the relevant U.N. agency, does not support returns to the countries in question due to severe security conditions.

The Department of Homeland Security has stated that the drafts viewed by the Washington Post are “outdated,” but the newspaper points out that, in the past week, the Department itself and the State Department have signed an agreement outlining the use of funds and operational details of the program, though without mentioning the nationalities involved.

Criticism has come from former officials and migration policy experts, who denounce the use of funds intended for refugee assistance to force the return of people who have fled areas ravaged by war, instability and violence. The Biden administration had granted temporary protected status to Ukrainians in 2022, after the Russian invasion, and maintained that for Haitians since the 2010 earthquake.

Although the State Department continues to advise against travel to Ukraine and Haiti because of the critical situation in both countries, documents viewed predict the involvement of more than 200,000 Ukrainians and 500,000 Haitians in the repatriation program.

“We are working with the State Department to implement the president’s agenda, using foreign aid funds to help those who are in our country illegally to self-deport,” said Tricia McLaughlin, spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security, referring to migrants whose refugee status has been or could be revoked.

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