IOM Faces Mass Layoffs Amid US Aid Cuts, Accusations of Enabling Deportations
The International Organization for Migration (IOM), the UN’s migration agency, has laid off thousands of employees due to severe funding cuts following a freeze on US foreign aid.
The agency is also facing criticism from both current and former staff, who accuse it of catering to Washington’s interests and providing cover for large-scale deportations.
Since the return of US President Donald Trump to office in January, his administration’s anti-migrant policies and decision to halt most foreign aid funding have severely impacted IOM’s operations.
IOM Warns of Humanitarian Consequences
An IOM spokesperson warned that the funding cuts would significantly weaken the agency’s ability to support vulnerable populations, leading to increased migration, suffering, and insecurity.
At the end of last year, the UN agency had around 22,000 employees, but the recent financial strain has forced it to lay off thousands.
Accusations of Enabling Mass Deportations
Critics claim that IOM’s assisted voluntary return programme is being used to legitimize Trump’s deportation agenda by giving it a UN-backed approval.
On February 1, IOM announced that it was expanding efforts across Latin America and the Caribbean to help migrants return home, reintegrate, and rebuild their lives.
It also confirmed the resumption of voluntary return programmes in Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, and Panama—with Panama and Costa Rica agreeing to accept deported migrants from the United States.