Latest news with #Refugees
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
State department ramps up Trump anti-immigration agenda with new ‘remigration' office
The state department is seeking to create an 'Office of Remigration' as part of a restructuring of the US diplomatic service to facilitate Donald Trump's rightwing anti-immigration policies. The plan would in effect repurpose the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM), which sought to manage and facilitate the flow of people into the US under previous administrations, into a bureau meant to help deport immigrants from the country. A congressional notification from the state department obtained by the Guardian said the office would be involved in 'repatriation tracking', would 'actively facilitate' the 'voluntary return of migrants' to other countries, and would work with the Department of Homeland Security and other law enforcement to 'advance the president's immigration agenda'. 'Reflecting core administration priorities, these offices will be substantially reorganized to shift focus towards supporting the administration's efforts to return illegal aliens to their country of origin or legal status,' the document read. The overhaul is part of a broader restructuring of the state department under its secretary, Marco Rubio, to create a 'more agile department, better equipped to promote America's interests and keep Americans safe across the world'. Under the plan, which was submitted to Congress this week, the state department would eliminate or consolidate more than 300 offices and bureaus, leading to the firing, or 'reduction in force', of more than 3,400 employees. The firings would not target members of consular affairs or law enforcement and other key roles of state. The administration this week ordered US embassies to stop scheduling appointments for student visas in connection with plans to expand social media vetting of applicants. The supreme court on Friday allowed Trump to revoke the legal status of more than 500,000 people from countries including Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela under a programme meant to protect them from economic and political turmoil in their home countries. The charge against migration has been led by Stephen Miller, the combative aide to the president who has railed against programmes that allow migrants and refugees into the country. Related: How remigration became a buzzword for global far right Remigration has become a buzzword for the global far right, with European nationalist movements such as Alternative für Deutschland brushing off allegations of racism to promote flashy ad campaigns depicting mass deportations of migrants. Donald Trump embraced the term in September, saying he would 'immediately end the migrant invasion of America' and, referring to his presidential rival in last year's election, 'return Kamala's illegal migrants to their home countries (also known as remigration)'. The PRM has been a conservative target under the Trump administration because of its role in resettling immigrants to the US and in distributing grants to groups they say promote migration. In an article last September for the American Conservative, Phillip Linderman, the chair of the conservative Ben Franklin Fellowship, said it was 'past time for a complete overhaul of State's PRM bureau'. Members of BFF have occupied prominent roles in the state department under Rubio, pointing to a conservative vision for remaking US diplomacy and its apparatus. 'It is remarkable how many well-informed conservative foreign policy strategists have never even heard of PRM,' wrote Linderman. 'Even those who closely follow immigration and border issues rarely understand the role PRM plays in accommodating and promoting the worldwide movement of illegal migrants.' Several people at PRM told the Guardian after Trump's election that they expected it could be shut down entirely. Instead, Rubio's plan would reassign diplomats who work in the agency's Office of Western Hemisphere Affairs and Office of International Migration to staff the new Office of Remigration.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Foreign workers in Canada can still switch jobs while waiting for new work permits
Foreign nationals holding employer-specific work permits in Canada will continue to benefit from a temporary policy that allows them to change jobs or occupations without waiting for a new work permit. The policy, originally introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic, was updated on May 27, 2025, according to a report by CIC News. Under the updated public policy from Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), workers with closed work permits can request permission to begin a new job while their application for a new work permit is still being processed. Normally, these workers would have to wait until their new permit is approved before starting any new employment. To qualify, applicants must meet several conditions: by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Roteirizador Pathfind - O planejador de rotas mais completo do mercado Sistema TMS embarcador Saiba Mais Undo They must be in Canada with valid temporary resident status. They must have submitted a work permit or work permit extension application. They must have been authorized to work when they applied. They must intend to work in the position and with the employer stated in the new job offer As per the CIC News report, once these conditions are met, the applicant can request to be considered under the temporary public policy. Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will confirm eligibility by email, usually within 10 to 15 days. Only after receiving this confirmation can the worker begin the new job. (Join our ETNRI WhatsApp channel for all the latest updates) The revised policy replaces the original version introduced in May 2020. The main change is the removal of the exemption from submitting biometrics, which was part of the earlier policy. The current policy remains in effect until further notice but may be withdrawn without warning.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
New Trump Office Has Name Reportedly Linked to Racist Policy of the Far Right
In a sweeping State Department overhaul, the Trump administration plans to create an 'Office of Remigration,' embracing a term closely linked with the European far-right involving the race-based mass deportation of immigrants. The revamp is part of a broader effort by President Donald Trump to deport millions of undocumented migrants. According to a document sent by the State Department to six congressional committees and obtained by multiple news outlets, the new office would serve as a hub 'for immigration issues and repatriation tracking.' The office would be part of the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration, a State Department official cited by Axios said. The plan, sent for approval by July 1, has sparked alarm as the term 'remigration' has become a buzzword for the global far right. In Europe, the ideology calls for the expulsion or forced repatriation of non-white immigrants and their descendants, regardless of their legal status. It has been used by far-right parties such as Austria's Freedom party (FPÖ) which in June 2024 urged the EU to name a 'remigration commissioner.' 'The Office of Remigration will serve as the [Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration]'s hub for immigration issues and repatriation tracking,' the document said. '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.' In a nod to remigration ideology, the Office of Remigration 'will also actively facilitate the voluntary return of migrants to their country of origin or legal status,' Wired reported. The Daily Beast has reached out to the State Department for comment. Wendy Via, CEO and president of the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism, described the plans as 'outrageous.' 'There is no hiding from the fact that the ultimate goal of 'remigration' is purely about ethnic cleansing. It is a terrible day for our country when 'remigration' proponents are crediting the US and Trump's administration for normalizing the term,' she told Wired. Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, senior fellow with the American Immigration Council, said on X: 'In a move likely intended to cause public outrage, Sec. Rubio is proposing eliminating the refugee and migration division at the State Department and replacing it with an 'Office of Remigration' — a term closely associated with the European far right and ethnic cleansing.' 'The way that it worked before, Population Refugee Migration was basically an entire bureau dedicated to bringing people into the United States,' a State Department official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Axios. 'It had the migration function—it's in the name—we're just reversing the flow of migrants who shouldn't be here to go out of the country.' The development comes weeks after DHS data revealed that Trump—despite his fiery anti-immigrant rhetoric—is actually deporting people at a slower pace than his predecessor Joe Biden. According to Reuters, the Trump administration deported 37,660 people in its first month in office. That's below the monthly average of 57,000 removals and returns during Biden's final year as president.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
South Africa's Ramaphosa to visit Trump: Can they fix tricky relations?
South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa will begin a state visit to the United States on Monday in what his government describes as an attempt to 'reset' the relationship between the two countries, which many experts say has become the frostiest in decades. The visit comes just days after the US welcomed a group of 59 white South African 'refugees' who President Donald Trump claims are being persecuted in South Africa because of their race, and are facing a 'genocide'. They flew to the US on a special relocation plan and will be allowed to settle there. Ramaphosa's government denies those allegations and says whites, who own more than 70 percent of the land despite making up just 7 percent of the population, are not discriminated against. In a statement, Ramaphosa's office said the two leaders would discuss 'bilateral' and 'global issues of interest'. The White House has not yet made a statement regarding the meeting. This is the first time Trump will host an African leader at the White House since he took office in January. South Africa, which currently presides over the G20, will hand over leadership to the US in November. Here's the timeline of the anticipated meeting, as well as a breakdown of the main issues which have caused tension and are most likely to be tabled: Ramaphosa will travel on Monday, May 19, and will meet with Trump at the White House on Wednesday, May 21. His office did not share an agenda for the talks, but said that 'the president's visit to the US provides a platform to reset the strategic relationship between the two countries'. The agenda is expected to include the treatment of white South Africans, aid cuts and the ongoing wars in Ukraine and Gaza. The agenda is expected to include the following subjects: The issue of relations between South Africa's historically advantaged white minority population and Ramaphosa's Black-led government has been the most touchy one between the two governments. White Afrikaners are descendants of mainly Dutch colonisers who, until 1990, controlled the country under an apartheid system that segregated and excluded the Black majority. Many of the most successful business leaders and farm owners in the country are still white. More than half of the Black population is categorised as poor. Trump and his billionaire ally, South African-born Elon Musk, have severely criticised the Ramaphosa administration's alleged poor treatment of these white people in the country, following Ramaphosa's signing into law of an Expropriation Bill which allows the government to confiscate land, in some instances, without compensation. The law, signed in January, allows expropriation from any land owner for redistribution to marginalised groups such as women and people with disabilities. Some Afrikaner groups say the law could allow their land to be redistributed to some of the country's Black majority. Trump has highlighted allegations by a group of white South Africans who fear that their land will be seized. This group also says white farmers face a disproportionate number of violent assaults, which have led to several deaths and amount to a 'genocide'. The South African government has denied that there is a genocide and says the attacks are part of a wider crime problem. Speaking at the Africa CEO forum in Abidjan in Ivory Coast on May 13, Ramaphosa said the US government 'has got the wrong end of the stick', as South Africa suffers overall from high rates of violent crime, regardless of the race of victims. Both white and Black farmers have been targeted in farm attacks, in which armed criminals have assaulted, robbed and sometimes murdered farm workers in usually remote locations. Meanwhile, Musk, who is the founder of internet company Starlink, also blames the government for the company's failure to launch in South Africa because of its Black empowerment laws which require that large corporations and businesses seeking government contracts be owned in part by marginalised groups such as Black people. In a March post on his X social media platform, Musk said Starlink was not allowed to launch 'because I am not black'. Officials have denied these allegations and say the country's business laws are meant to right historical wrongs. Since re-entering the White House in January, Trump has implemented a triple whammy of economic policies that have hit South Africa hard. First were the sweeping aid cuts the US announced after Trump signed an executive order pausing foreign aid to all countries for at least 90 days. That disrupted funding for treatment and research in South Africa for deadly communicable diseases like HIV. South Africa has the largest number of people living with HIV in the world, and until then, the US provided about 18 percent of the government's HIV budget. In 2023, the US provided $462m in HIV aid. Since January, some HIV treatment programmes have remained cut, while others have had their funding reinstated, although it's unclear how many. In February, Trump ordered that additional financial aid be cut specifically to South Africa over what he said was 'unjust racial discrimination', citing the alleged confiscation of white-owned land. He also cited South Africa's filing of its genocide case against Israel over its war on Gaza at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in December 2023. Details of the further aid cuts were not made public. Finally, South Africa has also been hit by Trump's tariff war. The country was slapped with a 30 percent tariff on all goods in April. An additional 25 percent tariff was placed on South African-made vehicles entering the US, putting vehicle surcharges at 55 percent. Ramaphosa described Trump's actions as 'punitive' and said the tariffs would 'serve as a barrier to trade and shared prosperity'. Although Trump paused reciprocal tariffs for most countries (including South Africa) for 90 days on April 9, South Africa's government wants tariffs to be permanently dropped. South Africa also still faces the baseline 10 percent tariff on goods that Trump has imposed on all countries. The US is South Africa's second-largest bilateral trading partner after China. Under the duty-free Africa Growth Opportunity Act introduced in 2000, South Africa sells precious stones, steel products and cars to the US, and buys crude oil, electrical goods and aircraft in return. The AGOA framework, which includes 32 African countries, is up for renewal this year, but it's unclear if Trump's White House will follow through with it. The South African government filed its genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on December 29, 2023, accusing it of 'genocidal acts' during its assaults on Gaza, to the anger of Israel's ally and major weapons supplier, the US. The landmark case highlighted the African country's vocal and visible support for the Palestinian cause and was the first court case against Israel in the ongoing war in Gaza. Hearings began in January 2024. In March 2024, the ICJ issued an emergency order that Israel ensure food aid deliveries into Gaza and cease its offensive in Rafah. Both Joe Biden's and Trump's administrations in the US have opposed South Africa's move, with Trump denouncing Pretoria's 'aggressiveness'. On February 7, Donald Trump signed an executive order pausing aid to the country. The order cited the ICJ case, the Afrikaner issue and South Africa's alleged collaboration with Iran to develop nuclear weapons. South Africa, meanwhile, has promised not to withdraw its case despite this backlash. Foreign minister Ronald Lamola told The Financial Times in February that there was 'no chance' the country would back down. 'Standing by our principles sometimes has consequences, but we remain firm that this is important for the world and the rule of law,' he said. Trump and Ramaphosa are also expected to discuss peace and mediation efforts in the Ukraine-Russia war as representatives of the two countries hold talks for the first time since the war began in February 2022. The Trump administration has taken a lead role in mediating between Russia and Ukraine. During his election campaign, Trump promised to negotiate an end to the war 'within 24 hours' if elected. Much of that effort, seen by some as aggressive, has fallen flat, however. A state visit to the US by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy ended with Trump and his deputy, JD Vance, shouting at their guest in February this year. South Africa, meanwhile, has opted to stay neutral in the conflict and has called for dialogue between the sides. The country is a historical ally of Russia because of the former Soviet Union's support during apartheid. Both are also founding members of the growing BRICS alliance of economies, alongside India, Brazil and China, which some see as a rival to the G5 group of richest countries. South Africa has not condemned Russia or Putin for the invasion of Ukraine, and has abstained from a United Nations resolution that did so. At the same time, Pretoria has remained friendly with Ukraine. In April, Ramaphosa hosted Zelenskyy during a state visit during which they discussed increasing trade and the ongoing war, with the Ukrainian leader calling for more pressure on Moscow. Hours before Zelenskyy met with Ramaphosa, the South African leader said he spoke over the phone with Trump, and they both agreed that the war needed to stop.
Al Jazeera
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
South Africa's Ramaphosa to visit Trump: Can they fix tricky relations?
South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa will begin a state visit to the United States on Monday in what his government describes as an attempt to 'reset' the relationship between the two countries, which many experts say has become the frostiest in decades. The visit comes just days after the US welcomed a group of 59 white South African 'refugees' who President Donald Trump claims are being persecuted in South Africa because of their race, and are facing a 'genocide'. They flew to the US on a special relocation plan and will be allowed to settle there. Ramaphosa's government denies those allegations and says whites, who own more than 70 percent of the land despite making up just 7 percent of the population, are not discriminated against. In a statement, Ramaphosa's office said the two leaders would discuss 'bilateral' and 'global issues of interest'. The White House has not yet made a statement regarding the meeting. This is the first time Trump will host an African leader at the White House since he took office in January. South Africa, which currently presides over the G20, will hand over leadership to the US in November. Here's the timeline of the anticipated meeting, as well as a breakdown of the main issues which have caused tension and are most likely to be tabled: Ramaphosa will travel on Monday, May 19, and will meet with Trump at the White House on Wednesday, May 21. His office did not share an agenda for the talks, but said that 'the president's visit to the US provides a platform to reset the strategic relationship between the two countries'. The agenda is expected to include the treatment of white South Africans, aid cuts and the ongoing wars in Ukraine and Gaza. The agenda is expected to include the following subjects: The issue of relations between South Africa's historically advantaged white minority population and Ramaphosa's Black-led government has been the most touchy one between the two governments. White Afrikaners are descendants of mainly Dutch colonisers who, until 1990, controlled the country under an apartheid system that segregated and excluded the Black majority. Many of the most successful business leaders and farm owners in the country are still white. More than half of the Black population is categorised as poor. Trump and his billionaire ally, South African-born Elon Musk, have severely criticised the Ramaphosa administration's alleged poor treatment of these white people in the country, following Ramaphosa's signing into law of an Expropriation Bill which allows the government to confiscate land, in some instances, without compensation. The law, signed in January, allows expropriation from any land owner for redistribution to marginalised groups such as women and people with disabilities. Some Afrikaner groups say the law could allow their land to be redistributed to some of the country's Black majority. Trump has highlighted allegations by a group of white South Africans who fear that their land will be seized. This group also says white farmers face a disproportionate number of violent assaults, which have led to several deaths and amount to a 'genocide'. The South African government has denied that there is a genocide and says the attacks are part of a wider crime problem. Speaking at the Africa CEO forum in Abidjan in Ivory Coast on May 13, Ramaphosa said the US government 'has got the wrong end of the stick', as South Africa suffers overall from high rates of violent crime, regardless of the race of victims. Both white and Black farmers have been targeted in farm attacks, in which armed criminals have assaulted, robbed and sometimes murdered farm workers in usually remote locations. Meanwhile, Musk, who is the founder of internet company Starlink, also blames the government for the company's failure to launch in South Africa because of its Black empowerment laws which require that large corporations and businesses seeking government contracts be owned in part by marginalised groups such as Black people. In a March post on his X social media platform, Musk said Starlink was not allowed to launch 'because I am not black'. Officials have denied these allegations and say the country's business laws are meant to right historical wrongs. Since re-entering the White House in January, Trump has implemented a triple whammy of economic policies that have hit South Africa hard. First were the sweeping aid cuts the US announced after Trump signed an executive order pausing foreign aid to all countries for at least 90 days. That disrupted funding for treatment and research in South Africa for deadly communicable diseases like HIV. South Africa has the largest number of people living with HIV in the world, and until then, the US provided about 18 percent of the government's HIV budget. In 2023, the US provided $462m in HIV aid. Since January, some HIV treatment programmes have remained cut, while others have had their funding reinstated, although it's unclear how many. In February, Trump ordered that additional financial aid be cut specifically to South Africa over what he said was 'unjust racial discrimination', citing the alleged confiscation of white-owned land. He also cited South Africa's filing of its genocide case against Israel over its war on Gaza at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in December 2023. Details of the further aid cuts were not made public. Finally, South Africa has also been hit by Trump's tariff war. The country was slapped with a 30 percent tariff on all goods in April. An additional 25 percent tariff was placed on South African-made vehicles entering the US, putting vehicle surcharges at 55 percent. Ramaphosa described Trump's actions as 'punitive' and said the tariffs would 'serve as a barrier to trade and shared prosperity'. Although Trump paused reciprocal tariffs for most countries (including South Africa) for 90 days on April 9, South Africa's government wants tariffs to be permanently dropped. South Africa also still faces the baseline 10 percent tariff on goods that Trump has imposed on all countries. The US is South Africa's second-largest bilateral trading partner after China. Under the duty-free Africa Growth Opportunity Act introduced in 2000, South Africa sells precious stones, steel products and cars to the US, and buys crude oil, electrical goods and aircraft in return. The AGOA framework, which includes 32 African countries, is up for renewal this year, but it's unclear if Trump's White House will follow through with it. The South African government filed its genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on December 29, 2023, accusing it of 'genocidal acts' during its assaults on Gaza, to the anger of Israel's ally and major weapons supplier, the US. The landmark case highlighted the African country's vocal and visible support for the Palestinian cause and was the first court case against Israel in the ongoing war in Gaza. Hearings began in January 2024. In March 2024, the ICJ issued an emergency order that Israel ensure food aid deliveries into Gaza and cease its offensive in Rafah. Both Joe Biden's and Trump's administrations in the US have opposed South Africa's move, with Trump denouncing Pretoria's 'aggressiveness'. On February 7, Donald Trump signed an executive order pausing aid to the country. The order cited the ICJ case, the Afrikaner issue and South Africa's alleged collaboration with Iran to develop nuclear weapons. South Africa, meanwhile, has promised not to withdraw its case despite this backlash. Foreign minister Ronald Lamola told The Financial Times in February that there was 'no chance' the country would back down. 'Standing by our principles sometimes has consequences, but we remain firm that this is important for the world and the rule of law,' he said. Trump and Ramaphosa are also expected to discuss peace and mediation efforts in the Ukraine-Russia war as representatives of the two countries hold talks for the first time since the war began in February 2022. The Trump administration has taken a lead role in mediating between Russia and Ukraine. During his election campaign, Trump promised to negotiate an end to the war 'within 24 hours' if elected. Much of that effort, seen by some as aggressive, has fallen flat, however. A state visit to the US by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy ended with Trump and his deputy, JD Vance, shouting at their guest in February this year. South Africa, meanwhile, has opted to stay neutral in the conflict and has called for dialogue between the sides. The country is a historical ally of Russia because of the former Soviet Union's support during apartheid. Both are also founding members of the growing BRICS alliance of economies, alongside India, Brazil and China, which some see as a rival to the G5 group of richest countries. South Africa has not condemned Russia or Putin for the invasion of Ukraine, and has abstained from a United Nations resolution that did so. At the same time, Pretoria has remained friendly with Ukraine. In April, Ramaphosa hosted Zelenskyy during a state visit during which they discussed increasing trade and the ongoing war, with the Ukrainian leader calling for more pressure on Moscow. Hours before Zelenskyy met with Ramaphosa, the South African leader said he spoke over the phone with Trump, and they both agreed that the war needed to stop.
