WASHINGTON: The Trump administration last week ordered US diplomats abroad to lobby against pro-migration policies and raise concerns over what it says are migrant populations committing violent crimes, according to a State Department cable seen by Reuters.
The cable, sent on Friday to dozens of US embassies across Europe, Canada and Australia, argues that crime and human rights abuses linked to mass migration and “individuals of a migration background” were a significant concern in Europe and the West. It says these incidents threaten public safety and social cohesion around the world.
It instructs US missions to report to Washington on such crimes and abuses and to provide analysis of how the host country reacts, while pushing the governments to reform migration policies and limit any programs that enable mass migration.
“We encourage your government to ensure that policies protect your citizens from the negative social impacts of mass migration, including displacement, sexual assault, and the breakdown of law and order,” reads one of more than a dozen talking points the State Department provided to US diplomats in the cable, which was first reported by the New York Times.
Anti-immigration was a major part of Donald Trump’s presidential campaign. After taking office, he launched an aggressive enforcement campaign, surging troops to the southern border and pledging to deport millions of immigrants who were in the US illegally.
