The Trump administration is sending embassy staff home en masse

The administration of President Donald Trump appealed to US embassies around the world to prepare for staff cuts. This was reported to Reuters by three sources familiar with the situation at once.

This measure will be part of the Republican president's attempt to restructure the US diplomatic corps. The sources also informed that some embassies were offered to reduce both American staff and local staff by 10%, and the list of employees should be sent on Friday to The State Department, which will determine further actions.

Both diplomats and local staff work at US embassies around the world. According to the National Museum of American Diplomacy, most of the embassy staff are citizens of the host country. It is also known that in recent weeks about 60 contractors of the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor of the State Department have already been out of work and that there is a possibility of further staff reductions in other offices. The ABC News editorial board was the first to inform that the US embassies were instructed to begin developing plans for staff reductions.

In a statement, the State Department also said that the department does not comment on issues related to local personnel.

"The State Department continues to evaluate our global position to make sure that we are in the best position to solve modern problems on behalf of the American people," a State Department spokesman said.

This measure was taken against the backdrop of Trump's attempts to reduce the diplomatic corps — on Wednesday he issued a decree instructing Secretary of State Marco Rubio to reorganize all American diplomacy in order to ensure the "conscientious and effective implementation" of his foreign policy agenda.

The order, adopted after attempts to disband the US Agency for International Development, appeared in the context of changes made by Trump to ensure compliance of US foreign policy with his "America First" program. He has repeatedly promised to "restore order in the deep state" by dismissing bureaucrats who are considered disloyal.

The order, titled "United Voice for America's International Relations," also states that failure to comply with the president's agenda is grounds for the application of professional discipline, which can lead to dismissal.

"The minister must support an exceptional staff of employees consisting of patriots to effectively implement this policy," the order says.

The document also describes a possible reorganization of the Foreign Affairs Manual — an extensive set of guidelines and procedures that determine the way the State Department works at home and abroad. Just hours after taking office on January 20, Trump ordered the freezing of most US aid to foreign countries to ensure that it complies with his "America First" policy.

USAID (US Agency for International Development) was the first target of attempts by billionaire Elon Musk, a close ally of Trump, to reduce the size of the US government. Since January 20, Musk has been sending employees of his Department of Public Administration Efficiency to check confidential information about personnel and payments in government computer systems. In addition to USAID, he has made efforts to eliminate the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, an agency that protects Americans from unscrupulous creditors.