WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump plans to sign a proclamation to encourage migrants, who are in the US illegally, to voluntarily depart the country, according to a White House official.

The `Project Homecoming` initiative will encourage migrants to leave voluntarily with the assistance of the federal government and financial support, or face enforcement and penalties, according to the official.

Meanwhile, the Washington Post reported that the Trump administration had hired the United Nations agency for migration to help implement its `self-deportation` programme.

Officials from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said in a statement that the institution will assist in making sure the process is safe and dignified and emphasized that it will help with `assisted voluntary returns,` not deportations.-Reuters/Monitoring Desk