‘The notion of voluntary deportation is ludicrous’: Human rights chief slams Trump’s plan to pay refugees $1,000 to return to danger

The Trump administration has developed plans to use up to $250 million in foreign assistance funds to finance the removal and return of people from conflict zones, including approximately 700,000 Ukrainian and Haitian migrants who fled to the United States to escape ongoing violence in their home countries. This information comes from draft internal documents reviewed by The Washington Post, which reveal a previously unreported proposal that was in development prior to the Department of Homeland Security’s May 5 announcement regarding immigrants who volunteer to “self-deport.”

According to The Washington Post, those who choose to return to their home countries would be eligible for $1,000 stipends from the U.S. government. In addition to Ukrainians and Haitians, the draft documents mention that Afghans, Palestinians, Libyans, Sudanese, Syrians, and Yemenis could also be targeted as part of this voluntary deportation program. The proposal aims to bypass the International Organization for Migration, a UN-affiliated body that typically assists with migrant returns but does not support returning people to any of these countries due to safety concerns.

While DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin confirmed the authenticity of the documents produced between late April and early May, she characterized them as “outdated” and stated that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi L. Noem has not made a final decision regarding temporary protected status for Haiti or Ukraine. The State Department acknowledged that it is working with DHS to provide travel support and financial incentives to encourage migrants to leave the United States voluntarily, though officials declined to address questions about specific nationalities.

Critics question legality and ethics of using refugee assistance funds for deportations

Former government officials and human rights advocates have criticized the proposal as inhumane and contrary to long-standing U.S. ideals, arguing that pushing people seeking refuge to return to countries where they face potential death is morally wrong. They have also raised concerns about whether using foreign aid funds designated primarily for refugee support and resettlement for deportation purposes represents a misuse of those funds.

Anne Richard, a senior State Department official during the Obama administration, stated that the money should be spent on refugee aid programs as Congress intended. Meanwhile, Uzra Zeya, a former senior State Department official who now leads Human Rights First, criticized what she called the Trump administration’s unlawful mistreatment and deportations of vulnerable asylum seekers, declaring that “the notion of voluntary deportation is ludicrous.”

The proposal comes at a time when the Trump administration is pursuing significant cuts to foreign aid, including plans to dismantle the U.S. Agency for International Development and terminate 80 percent of its programs, including those serving Ukraine, Haiti, and other troubled nations. It also coincides with the administration’s use of unorthodox and contested methods for removing migrants from the United States, including forced deportations and deportations to countries that are not the migrants’ homes of origin.

Under the Trump administration’s proposal, the State Department’s Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration would fund the voluntary removal program using congressionally appropriated money to charter flights or purchase commercial airline tickets. This bureau has traditionally focused on overseeing refugee resettlement within the United States rather than their removal, but under the current administration, almost all resettlement programs have been halted with the exception of approximately 50 White South Africans who Trump has claimed face racial discrimination.