International Organization for Migration Lays Off Staff on Massive Scale Due to... America

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has been forced to make large-scale staff cuts after being hit hard by US cuts in foreign aid.

IOM headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. (Source: News central)

According to AFP news agency, this cut is expected to affect at least 20% of the more than 1,000 employees at IOM's headquarters in Geneva (Switzerland), or about more than 200 people.

A few weeks earlier, the UN agency had also had to cut about 3,000 of its 22,000 staff, including about 5,000 who worked for the US refugee resettlement program, a program that had been suspended by the Trump administration.

According to sources, the departments hardest hit by this round of cuts are IOM's international cooperation program and the information and communications technology department.

While IOM would not confirm the extent of the staff cuts, a spokesperson for the organization acknowledged that the agency was making “necessary adjustments,” including making staff reductions that are “appropriate and effective.”

The layoffs come as the Trump administration's campaign to cut foreign aid has sparked concern in the international humanitarian community.

IOM – the agency in charge of global migration – relies on the United States for more than 40% of its annual budget. Most of IOM’s funding comes from voluntary contributions designated for specific programs, and when one donor stops sending money, an entire program can be canceled immediately, as happened with IOM’s partnership with the United States Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP).

IOM Director General Amy Pope shared that this difficult decision was because IOM could not pay staff salaries and had no operating budget.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/to-chuc-di-cu-quoc-te-sa-thai-nhan-su-quy-mo-lon-vi-my-307651.html