U.S. Administration Boycotts UN Migration Summit
The Trump administration has decided to boycott the United Nations Migration Summit, alleging that the UN is facilitating the movement of foreign nationals into Western nations.
The U.S. State Department has chosen not to engage in the International Migration Review Forum, which assesses the UN Global Compact on Migration. They have also rejected the May 8 Progress Statement, criticizing what they see as the UN’s attempts to impose “alternative migration” policies on the U.S. and other Western countries, as mentioned in a May 11 press release. They noted that, despite Western voter demands for stricter immigration rules, the UN persistently promotes the influx of migrants into these regions. Previously, in 2017, the U.S. withdrew from the agreement during Trump’s first term.
The State Department’s release indicated that “United Nations agencies, along with NGOs they finance, have crafted migration routes leading from Central America to the U.S. border.” They claimed that while Americans are experiencing an unprecedented surge in mass migration, UN personnel were actively aiding migrants along this perilous journey, even in deadly areas like the Darien Gorge. According to the State Department, UN-funded NGOs have provided logistical support to migrants heading to the U.S., and after facilitating this migration, the UN condemned the deportation of illegal immigrants.
The statement further accused the UN of sending personnel to assist migration along the Mediterranean, particularly from Libya to the Greek Islands, while European governments reportedly resisted border openings. The statement also specifically called out officials in Britain for allegedly pressuring aviation authorities to block deportation flights, which the U.S. viewed as infringing upon British sovereignty. The conclusion emphasized the U.S. commitment to pursuing “reimmigration, not replacement immigration.”
The Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration was adopted back in 2018 during the Brussels Signal in Marrakech, Morocco. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has clarified that the agreement is “not legally binding” and aims to enhance international cooperation on managing migration issues, helping governments formulate policies in response to migration impacts. This framework undergoes a review every four years through the International Migration Review Forum.
In collaboration with the Panamanian and Costa Rican authorities, UN Human Rights has also developed tools for monitoring and assessing human rights violations against migrants. Mark Kikorian, the executive director of the Center for Migration Studies, argued before Congress in June 2025 that UN and various NGOs are assisting migrants with transportation and travel information.
The concept of “replacement migration” is not a new one for the UN. A report from 2001, titled “Replacement Migration: A Solution to Declining and Aging Populations?” investigates the influx required to counter population declines in regions such as the U.S., Europe, Japan, and South Korea.
Several European nations had reconsidered their position on the agreement upon its adoption in 2018. Countries like Italy, Estonia, Bulgaria, Latvia, Poland, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, and Hungary either withdrew, abstained, or voted against it, largely motivated by concerns over sovereignty.
