UN migration agency to cut 20% of staff at its headquarters

The U.N.'s International Organization for Migration, hard hit by U.S. foreign aid cuts, will shed at least 20% of jobs at its headquarters located in Geneva, Switzerland, employees told AFP.

"It's about more than 200 employees. Although I think it's more," one of the salaried employees told the agency on condition of anonymity. About 1,000 people work at IOM's Geneva headquarters.

This news comes a few weeks after the same organization sent letters of dismissal to some 3,000 workers. The latter were part of the 5,000 or so employees collaborating with the U.S. refugee resettlement program, which was suspended by President Donald Trump.

"The atmosphere is very hard to describe," an IOM employee told AFP. Some 22,000 people worked for the organization last year.

Earlier this week, IOM staff in charge of media relations were summoned for "one-on-one meetings" during which "it was announced to them that they were fired," recounted the employee, who preferred not to reveal his name.

Another former employee, who also asked that his identity not be disclosed, said that "dozens of employees" received layoff notices on Thursday, and that "there will be more."