The fate of some 200,000 Ukrainians hangs in the balance as Washington intensifies its border security crackdown, sources citing US government data have confirmed.
A humanitarian programme launched by the Biden Administration for Ukrainians fleeing the war-torn country had officially expired in 2024. Official data suggests that the number will have swelled past the earlier estimated 260,000 figure by 2025.
US president Donald Trump paused the processing of applications and renewals after signing an executive order as part of a broader freeze on several nationality-based humanitarian programmes, citing security concerns.
Trump had in March hinted at cancelling or revoking the Ukrainians’ legal status entirely but ultimately did not end the programme. The US immigration department has so far processed only 19,000 renewal applications for Ukrainians and other nationalities since then.
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Conservative and pro-life activists have expressed concern over the fate of those Ukrainians who have overstayed their legal status in the country.
Sources inside the White House have said that Trump is preparing to send them back home should Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reject the much-touted US-backed peace proposal.
In August, Germany, which hosts over 1.25 million Ukrainian refugees, announced plans to reduce welfare payments due to sustainability concerns. Meanwhile, in light of the policy shift in several EU countries towards the Ukrainian refugees, experts point out that the Trump administration is trying to exert more pressure on Zelenskyy to accept the peace proposal, which he has so far refused to do.
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