Trump Administration Reportedly Proposes 'Office of Remigration,' Echoing Ethnic Cleansing Ideology

The Trump administration has reportedly proposed the creation of a new "Office of Remigration" as part of a sweeping State Department reorganization, according to a 136-page document.

Critics argue that the term "remigration" is rooted in far-right ideology and has been used to promote and justify ethnic cleansing policies in Europe, with marches held in numerous capitals across the continent. In the UK the Homeland Party has adopted remigration as one of its core policies.

The proposed office would fall under the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM) and would, according to the document reviewed by Wired, serve as a policy hub for tracking repatriation and coordinating removals across U.S. agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security.

"It will provide a policy platform for interagency coordination... on removals/repatriations, and for intra-agency policy work to advance the President's immigration agenda," the document reportedly states.

The document, first published by Reuters, outlines the office's purported role to facilitate "the voluntary return of migrants to their country of origin or legal status."

While the term "remigration" has rarely been used in U.S. policymaking, it has gained traction among European far-right movements and is associated with mass deportations and efforts to reduce non-white populations, as Wired explains. The policy concept was popularized by Austrian activist Martin Sellner, who was previously part of a neo-Nazi group and currently promotes a multi-phase plan to repatriate undocumented immigrants, legal residents, and even naturalized citizens considered "non-assimilated."

Asked whether Trump's policies align with remigration, Sellner told Wired:

"Yes, [Trump] ticks many of the boxes. There are differences between Europe and the USA, but the common line is the same: preserving the cultural continuity by stopping replacement migration. Reversing the flows with border security, mass repatriations, and incentives to leave"

President Trump referenced "remigration" in a September 2024 post on X (formerly Twitter), vowing to "return Kamala's illegal migrants to their home countries (also known as remigration)":

A State Department official told Axios that the move reflects a reversal of the Bureau's historical mission:

"It had the migration function — it's in the name — we're just reversing the flow of migrants who shouldn't be here"

Critics warn the policy marks a dangerous normalization of extremist ideology. As Wendy Via of the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism told Wired:

"It's 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"