Washington: The U.S. State Department is preparing to close nearly a dozen consulates, primarily in Western Europe, as part of a broader effort to streamline diplomatic operations and cut costs, according to multiple U.S. officials. The closures, expected in the coming months, align with the administration’s push to reduce government spending and reshape American foreign policy.
Additionally, the State Department is evaluating the potential consolidation of several expert bureaus at its Washington headquarters. These bureaus focus on key global issues, including human rights, refugee affairs, international criminal justice, women’s rights, and countering human trafficking, officials said.
Sweeping Cost-Cutting Measures
Last month, Reuters reported that U.S. missions worldwide had been instructed to explore cutting both American and locally employed staff by at least 10%. The effort is part of a broader initiative, driven by President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk, aimed at reducing the size of the federal workforce.
Trump, who has long championed an “America First” foreign policy, recently issued an executive order to overhaul the U.S. foreign service. The directive is intended to ensure that diplomats “faithfully and effectively” implement his policy agenda. During his electoral campaign, he repeatedly pledged to “clean out the deep state” by removing bureaucrats he deems disloyal.
Critics argue that reducing the U.S. diplomatic footprint and dismantling agencies like the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) could weaken American influence abroad. They warn that such moves might create opportunities for geopolitical rivals like China and Russia to expand their presence in regions traditionally supported by U.S. diplomacy and aid.
Trump and Musk, however, maintain that the U.S. government is too large and that taxpayer-funded foreign aid has been mismanaged, often wasted on inefficient or fraudulent programs.
Consulates on the Chopping Block
Among the consulates being considered for closure are U.S. diplomatic posts in Leipzig, Hamburg, and Düsseldorf in Germany; Bordeaux, Rennes, Lyon, and Strasbourg in France; and Florence in Italy, according to three officials. The list also includes consulates in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, and Ponta Delgada, Portugal.
While the final decision has yet to be made, some officials are advocating to keep certain consulates open, arguing that their closure could undermine critical diplomatic and economic relationships.
The State Department acknowledged the ongoing review in a statement, saying:
“The State Department continues to assess our global posture to ensure we are best positioned to address modern challenges on behalf of the American people.”
Congress Notified as Critics Raise Concerns
On Monday, the State Department formally notified Congress of its plan to close its diplomatic branch in Gaziantep, a southeastern Turkish city that has played a key role in supporting U.S. humanitarian efforts in northern Syria.
One U.S. official criticized the closures as arbitrary, stating, “Some of these are so small that the savings from cutting them are quite insignificant. It just fits with the theme of the administration’s performative and arbitrary cuts without any method or strategy.”
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Meanwhile, in Washington, dozens of contractors at the State Department’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor have recently been terminated. The office overseeing the resettlement of Afghan refugees in the U.S. has been directed to shut down by April.
Additionally, diplomats working on Asia-related affairs have been asked to justify the continued existence of U.S. missions in the region. According to an internal email seen by Reuters, officials were instructed to submit a brief summary assessing the diplomatic significance of each mission and its alignment with the “America First agenda.”
Impact on U.S. Diplomatic Workforce
The State Department currently operates more than 270 diplomatic missions worldwide, with nearly 70,000 personnel. Of these, approximately 45,000 are locally employed staff, 13,000 are members of the foreign service, and 11,000 are civil service employees.
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Following Trump’s directive to freeze nearly all U.S. foreign aid, thousands of USAID employees and contractors have either been terminated or placed on leave. The sweeping budget cuts have also led to the reduction of billions of dollars in humanitarian aid programs, raising concerns about the potential long-term consequences for global stability and U.S. leadership on international issues.
