Angered by mass-layoffs, UN migration agency staff demand member states step in

Angered by mass-layoffs, UN migration agency staff demand member states step in
Hard-hit by US aid funding cuts, the UN migration agency's move to lay off thousands has sparked an internal "rebellion" by dozens of staff, who are demanding its donors take action, AFP has learned. (AFP/File)
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Updated 21 March 2025
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Angered by mass-layoffs, UN migration agency staff demand member states step in

Angered by mass-layoffs, UN migration agency staff demand member states step in
  • The United Nations agency has moved swifter than most to lay off staff as it faces dire shortages
  • The organization announced Tuesday that it was facing “an unprecedented 30-percent reduction in estimated donor funding” this year alone

GENEVA: Hard-hit by US aid funding cuts, the UN migration agency’s move to lay off thousands has sparked an internal “rebellion” by dozens of staff, who are demanding its donors take action, AFP has learned.
Like many humanitarian agencies, the International Organization for Migration has been reeling since President Donald Trump returned to the White House in January, pushing an anti-migrant agenda and immediately freezing most US foreign aid funding.
The United Nations agency, tasked with serving many of the world’s some 280 million migrants, has moved swifter than most to lay off staff as it faces dire shortages.
The organization, which at the end of last year employed around 22,000 people, announced Tuesday that it was facing “an unprecedented 30-percent reduction in estimated donor funding” this year alone, forcing it to lay off over 6,000 staff members worldwide.
Accounting for around half of the affected staff were 3,000 people who were laid off last month, after Trump halted the US refugee resettlement program they had been working with.
More than 250 of the over 1,000 staff at IOM’s Geneva headquarters were also informed last week they were being let go.
That announcement appears to have spurred already simmering anger among some staff at changes inside the agency to boil over.
In an email, sent to diplomatic missions in Geneva, an anonymous group of over 30 IOM employees warned of serious concerns at the agency “regarding financial transparency, governance failures, and alarming reports about workplace conditions.”
AFP received copies of the email from three current and former employees, including one person behind the missive, and five diplomatic mission confirmed they had received it.
IOM “categorically rejected” allegations raised in the letter addressed to IOM’s 175 member states, which provide much of the organization’s funding and have significant sway over its structure, budget and management.
The letter warned countries that the alleged issues “threaten the integrity of the organization to which you contribute,” urging them to “collectively request a full and transparent report” from IOM management on a number of “financial decisions.”
The email lobbed a long line of accusations, which AFP could not immediately independently verify.
It among other things questioned the necessity and the cost-saving benefit of the abrupt and large-scale layoffs, pointing to significant payments for notice and severance packages, as well as legal proceedings.
“It remains unclear whether the total expenditure on layoffs has ultimately exceeded what would have been required to allow staff to complete their contracts or receive standard non-renewal notices,” the email said.
“There is no rationale,” one senior staff member who has worked at IOM for over a decade told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity.
“The US temporary cuts are just an excuse to sack people.”
Among other accusations in the email was that “the work environment at IOM has deteriorated significantly, with growing reports of harassment, intimidation and retaliation against staff.”
Several IOM staff members told AFP that the working environment in Geneva especially was “toxic,” with employees involved in the email so fearful their communications would be intercepted they carry their computers with them at all times, “even to the gym.”
“We don’t feel safe,” the senior staff member said, adding that the employees had launched their “rebellion to end impunity and a culture of fear.”
Asked about the allegations made in the letter, an IOM spokesperson stressed that the agency was “navigating a challenging moment, making difficult but necessary decisions to ensure IOM’s long-term ability to serve migrants and displaced people worldwide.”
“This process has been conducted with transparency, in consultation with our member states, donors, and staff unions, and with a deep commitment to fairness, empathy, and respect for our staff,” the spokesperson said.
“Any misleading accusations that suggest otherwise are categorically rejected.”
The mass-layoffs came after Trump’s campaign to dismantle US foreign aid contributions has put the entire humanitarian community into a tailspin.
The sudden about-face on aid funding by the country that traditionally has by far given most has dealt a harsh blow to IOM, which had been relying on the United States for 46 percent of its annual budget.
The agency voiced regret Tuesday at “the necessary impact these decisions will have on colleagues who have dedicated years to IOM’s mission, many of whom will lose their jobs,” stressing that its staff “represent the best of public service.”
IOM, which since late 2023 has been headed by Amy Pope, a US lawyer who served in the administrations of former presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden, did not respond to queries about specific allegations.
In an internal memo sent to the agency’s staff on Tuesday, entitled “Update on Structural Adjustment at IOM” and signed by the “Leadership Team,” the agency also criticized the “spreading of misinformation.”
“While we understand that this period of change has been unsettling and has led to anxiety for the future, the deliberate spreading of misinformation is not a legitimate means of raising concerns,” said the memo, seen by AFP.
That only “undermines trust in IOM, damages the organization’s reputation, and harms the staff and beneficiaries it serves,” it warned.
“Using the media to air grievances or reveal unauthorized information contravenes staff rules and regulations,” it said, urging employees instead to go through the “multiple internal channels” available.


Philippines, UAE sign agreement to combat cybercrime, drug trafficking

Philippine Interior Secretary Juanito Victor Remulla and UAE Interior Minister Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al-Nahyan shake hands.
Philippine Interior Secretary Juanito Victor Remulla and UAE Interior Minister Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al-Nahyan shake hands.
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Philippines, UAE sign agreement to combat cybercrime, drug trafficking

Philippine Interior Secretary Juanito Victor Remulla and UAE Interior Minister Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al-Nahyan shake hands.
  • New deal provides ‘strategic framework’ for cooperation, Philippine ambassador says
  • UAE is the only country in the Middle East where Philippines has defense attache

MANILA: The Philippines has signed a new security agreement with the UAE to tackle transnational and organized crime, officials said on Tuesday.

Signed by Philippine Interior Secretary Juanito Victor Remulla and UAE Interior Minister Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, the new deal focuses on cybercrime, drug trafficking and human trafficking. 

“Transnational crimes with global networks powered by new technologies and the ease of cross-border movement of persons and criminal syndicates need more international cooperation and partnerships,” Alfonso Ver, Philippine ambassador to the UAE, told Arab News on Tuesday. 

“This is one concrete step to address the growing menace above … We have gone into new and heretofore unexplored areas of bilateral cooperation, moving beyond the issues of OFWs (Overseas Filipino Workers), migration and oil.” 

The Philippines and the UAE celebrated 50 years of diplomatic relations last year. 

The two countries have been working to expand security ties over the past few years, with discussions ongoing for a wide-ranging bilateral defense pact. 

In 2021, the Philippines posted a defense attache in the UAE, making it the only country in the Middle East where Manila has such representation. 

The two countries also signed several treaties on extradition, mutual legal assistance and transfer of prisoners in February. 

Ver said the new agreement was a “milestone” that provides a “strategic framework” that will help guide Philippine-UAE “future engagements in a more structured, sustainable, and effective” manner.

It is also expected to promote the exchange of best practices and expertise. 

“We discussed ways to strengthen bilateral relations between the two friendly countries and develop cooperation in the security and police fields,” Sheikh Saif said in a post on X, referring to his meeting with Remulla. 

“This underscores our shared commitment to supporting effective international institutional cooperation to enhance the security and stability of societies.”

Cybercrime and trafficking have been growing concerns for countries like the Philippines.

More than 200 Filipinos were among several thousand people freed in late February and March from online scam centers run by syndicates operating along Myanmar’s border with Thailand, where many of them are believed to have been recruited and trafficked by criminal gangs.

Lured by well-paid job offers in Thailand, they were released in a weeks-long, highly publicized crackdown by Thai, Myanmar and Chinese forces.


Bangladesh’s largest private airline starts Riyadh flights as demand grows

Bangladesh’s largest private airline starts Riyadh flights as demand grows
Updated 47 min 30 sec ago
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Bangladesh’s largest private airline starts Riyadh flights as demand grows

Bangladesh’s largest private airline starts Riyadh flights as demand grows
  • US-Bangla Airlines offers 5 weekly flights on Dhaka–Riyadh route
  • First private Bangladeshi carrier to operate flights to the Kingdom

DHAKA: US-Bangla Airlines, the largest airline in Bangladesh by fleet size, has launched direct flights from Dhaka to Riyadh amid increasing demand for travel to Saudi Arabia.

The inaugural flight from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport to King Khalid International Airport took off on Monday, with 423 passengers on board.

The flights will run five times a week on an Airbus 330 aircraft, with plans to gradually expand to daily service.

“Today, also, we are flying with full occupancy. There is always demand for destinations in the Middle East,” Kamrul Islam, the carrier’s general manager for public relations, told Arab News on Tuesday.

“We are receiving very good responses from the passengers ... The route will soon be served by daily flights.”

The airline is tapping into the growing market for Middle East travel. Flights to Saudi Arabia have been too few to accommodate the needs of some 3 million Bangladeshi workers in the Kingdom and hundreds of thousands of people traveling for the annual Hajj and Umrah pilgrimages.

In August last year, it launched daily flights to Jeddah, becoming the first — and so far the only — private Bangladeshi airline to fly to the Kingdom.

“Our aim is to start flight operations gradually in all the destinations where Bangladeshi migrants live,” Islam said.

“In the near future, we are planning to begin flight operations to Dammam and Madinah. Our plan is to begin these flights by the next year. It takes six to seven months of preparations to launch a new station.”

Founded in 2010, US-Bangla Airlines started as a domestic carrier and has lately expanded its routes to go international. The Riyadh route marks the airline’s 14th international destination and sixth in the Middle East.

“Every destination in the Middle East is a base for Bangladeshi migrants,” Islam said.

“We are currently operating also to other places in the region, like Dubai, Sharjah, Abu Dhabi, Muscat, and Doha.”

With its latest acquisition of new Airbus A330 and Boeing 737 aircraft last year, the carrier has become the largest airline in Bangladesh by fleet size.

With the additions, the US-Bangla fleet now consists of 24 aircraft, while the national flag carrier Biman has 21.


UN food agency to halt aid for 650,000 women, children in Ethiopia

UN food agency to halt aid for 650,000 women, children in Ethiopia
Updated 57 min 14 sec ago
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UN food agency to halt aid for 650,000 women, children in Ethiopia

UN food agency to halt aid for 650,000 women, children in Ethiopia

ADDIS ABABA: The World Food Programme said Tuesday that it was suspending aid for 650,000 malnourished women and children in Ethiopia due to a lack of funding.
“WFP is being forced to halt treatment for 650,000 malnourished women and children in May due to insufficient funding. WFP had planned to reach two million mothers and children with life-saving nutrition assistance in 2025,” the UN agency said in a statement.


Cardinals set Pope Francis’ funeral for Saturday morning, with public viewing starting Wednesday

Cardinals set Pope Francis’ funeral for Saturday morning, with public viewing starting Wednesday
Updated 22 April 2025
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Cardinals set Pope Francis’ funeral for Saturday morning, with public viewing starting Wednesday

Cardinals set Pope Francis’ funeral for Saturday morning, with public viewing starting Wednesday
  • First so-called ‘general congregation’ signals the start of a centuries-old tradition that culminates in the election by cardinals of a new pontiff within three weeks

VATICAN CITY: Cardinals have taken their first decisions following the death of Pope Francis, setting Saturday as the date for his funeral and allowing ordinary faithful to begin paying their final respects starting Wednesday, when his casket is brought into St. Peter’s Basilica.

The cardinals met for the first time Tuesday in the Vatican’s synod hall to chart the next steps before a conclave begins to choose Francis’ successor, as condolences poured in from around the world grieving history’s first Latin American pope.

The cardinals set the funeral for Saturday at 10 a.m. in St. Peter’s Square, to be celebrated by the dean of the College of Cardinals, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re.

US President Donald Trump has announced he and first lady Melania Trump plan to attend Saturday’s funeral Argentine President Javier Milei is also expected.

Francis died Monday at age 88 after suffering a stroke that put him in a coma and led his heart to fail. He had been recovering in his apartment after being hospitalized for five weeks with pneumonia. He made his last public appearance Sunday, delivering an Easter blessing and making what would be his final greeting to followers from his popemobile, looping around St. Peter’s Square.

In retrospect, his Easter appearance from the same loggia where he was introduced to the world as the first pope from the Americas on March 13, 2013, was a perfect bookend to a 12-year papacy that sought to shake up the church and return it to its Gospel-mandated mission of caring for the poorest.

“He gave himself to the end,” said Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, the head of the Italian bishops’ conference and considered a possible contender to be next pope. “To go out to meet everyone, speak to everyone, teach us to speak to everyone, to bless everyone.”

The first images of Francis’ body were released Tuesday, showing him in the wooden casket, in red vestments and his bishop’s miter, with the Vatican secretary of state praying over him in the chapel of the Domus Santa Marta hotel where he lived and died.

In his final will, Francis confirmed he would be buried at St. Mary Major basilica, which is outside the Vatican and home to his favorite icon of the Virgin Mary. Before and after every foreign trip, Francis would go to the basilica to pray before the Byzantine-style painting that features an image of Mary, draped in a blue robe, holding the infant Jesus, who in turn holds a jeweled golden book.

Francis stopped by the basilica on his way home from the Gemelli hospital on March 23, after his 38-day hospital stay, to deliver flowers to be placed before the icon. He returned April 12 to pray before the Madonna for the last time.

The world reacts

Bells tolled in chapels, churches and cathedrals around the world and flags flew at half staff in Italy, India, Taiwan and the US after Francis’ death was announced by the Vatican camerlengo. Soccer matches in Italy and Argentina were suspended in honor of the Argentine pope who was a lifelong fan of the San Lorenzo soccer club.

World leaders praised Francis for his moral leadership and compassion, while ordinary faithful remembered his simplicity and humanity.

“Like every Argentine, I think he was a rebel,” said 23-year-old Catalina Favaro, who had come to pay her respects in the Buenos Aires church where Francis discovered his priestly vocation. “He may have been contradictory, but that was nice, too.”

In East Timor, where Francis’ final outdoor Mass drew nearly half of the population last September, President Jose Ramos-Horta praised Francis’ courage. “Papa Francisco was a brave man who was not afraid to speak out against the rulers of the world who seek war, but do not want to seek peace,” Ramos-Horta said.

“He challenged the powerful to act with justice, called nations to welcome the stranger, and reminded us that our common home – this Earth – is a gift we must protect for future generations,” said Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu, who is Muslim. Nigeria is Africa’s most populous country and has around 30 million Catholics, representing about 14 percent of the total population.

Viewing the pope’s coffin

The pope’s formal apartments in the Apostolic Palace and in the Santa Marta hotel were sealed Monday evening, following a centuries-old ritual. Cardinal Kevin Farrell, who as camerlengo had the task of announcing the death and confirming it once the cause was determined, presided over the rituals.

Francis chose not to live in the palace, though, but in a two-room suite in Santa Marta on the other side of Vatican City. He died there and his body was transferred to the hotel chapel in the lobby, where the private viewing was being held Tuesday for Vatican officials and members of the pontifical household.

In changes made by Francis last year, his body was not placed in three wooden coffins, as it had been for previous popes. Rather, Francis was placed in a simplified wooden coffin with a zinc coffin inside.

Once in St. Peter’s, his coffin will not be put on an elevated bier but will just be placed simply facing the pews, with the Paschal candle nearby.

“He was a pope who didn’t change his path when it came to getting dirty,” Francis’ vicar for Rome, Cardinal Baldassarre Reina, said in a Mass in his honor. “For him, poor people and migrants were the sacrament of Jesus.”

Choosing the next pope

After the funeral, there are nine days of official mourning, known as the “novendiali.” During this period, cardinals arrive in Rome and meet privately before the conclave.

To give everyone time to assemble, the conclave must begin 15-20 days after the “sede vacante” – the “vacant See” – is declared, although it can start sooner if the cardinals agree.

Once the conclave begins, cardinals vote in secret sessions in the Sistine Chapel. After voting sessions, the ballots are burned in a special stove. Black smoke indicates that no pope has been elected, while white smoke indicates that the cardinals have chosen the next head of the Catholic Church.

The one who has secured two-thirds of the votes wins. If he accepts, his election is announced by a cardinal from the loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica who tells the world “Habemus Papam,” Latin for “We have a pope.”


France’s Barrot: Europeans expressed red lines over Ukraine to US

France’s Barrot: Europeans expressed red lines over Ukraine to US
Updated 22 April 2025
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France’s Barrot: Europeans expressed red lines over Ukraine to US

France’s Barrot: Europeans expressed red lines over Ukraine to US
  • Barrot says Putin’s truce in Ukraine over Easter was a marketing operating operation aimed at preventing that US President Donald Trump gets impatient

PARIS: Europe has expressed its red lines over Ukraine to the United States at a meeting last week ahead of a new round of discussions in London on Wednesday, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said on Tuesday.
He also said in an interview with francinfo radio that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s truce in Ukraine over Easter was a marketing operating operation aimed at preventing that US President Donald Trump gets impatient with him.

“The Easter truce that he announced somewhat unexpectedly was a marketing operation, a charm operation aimed at preventing President Trump from becoming impatient and angry,” Barrot told the FranceInfo broadcaster, a day after Russia launched aerial attacks on Ukraine in an abrupt end to the fragile Easter truce.