The State Department is launching a new Office of Remigration to “facilitate the voluntary return of migrants to their country of origin or legal status.”
The creation of the new Office is outlined in an extensive briefing document submitted to half a dozen Congressional committees, including the House Committees on Foreign Affairs and Appropriations, for approval by 1 July.
“The Office of Remigration will serve as the [Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration]’s hub for immigration issues and repatriation tracking,” the document states.
“It will provide a policy platform for interagency coordination with DHS and other agencies on removals/repatriations, and for intra-agency policy work to advance the President’s immigration agenda.”
The new Office will be created as part of wide-scale reforms to the US diplomatic corps. This will include dismantling large parts of the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, and introducing a new deputy assistant secretary who will focus on upholding “democracy and Western values.”
“The reorganization plan will result in a more agile Department, better equipped to promote America’s interests and keep Americans safe across the world,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement.
If the new Office is created, the US will join nations like Sweden in providing official incentives to migrants to leave the country.
While the Swedish government provides generous financial incentives to leave, the Trump administration has so far promised only to pay for travel out of the US, with the addition of a $1000 stipend.