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Only 18,000 refugees will be accepted into the United States in 2020 as part of the country's resettlement policy, up from 30,000 this year, the State Department said Thursday. It's a new historical low.
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<p>The quota of refugees hosted in the United States as part of their resettlement policy has further plummeted, the administration announced Thursday [September 26th]. Only 18,000 refugees will be accepted in 2020 against 30,000 this year and nearly 85,000 in 2016. This quota must now be discussed with Congress before being, except huge surprise, confirmed by President Donald Trump.
"The current burden on the US immigration system needs to be eased before the United States can resettle a large number of refugees again," the US State Department said.
This is a new historic low since this resettlement program was created in 1980. This policy concerns refugees selected by US security and intelligence agencies in UN camps around the world to be resettled in the United States. United States, mostly among the most vulnerable such as the elderly, widows and the disabled.
"National security"
"Our refugee quotas must also take into account our national security and foreign policy interests," said the State Department. "In recent years, law enforcement officers have apprehended terrorists believed to have gone through our refugee program," he said.
"In addition, in order to serve the interests of US foreign policy, the refugee resettlement proposal" for fiscal year 2020 "provides for specific quotas for those persecuted for their religious faith, for Iraqis put in danger because of their assistance to the United States, and legitimate refugees from the countries of the North Triangle "which includes El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras.
The government plans to receive more than 368,000 new refugees and asylum applications in 2020, including 18,000 "resettled" people. But only a small part of these people are ultimately granted refugee status.
"It's a very sad day for America"
"This is a very sad day for America," said the chairman of the non-governmental organization International Rescue Committee David Miliband. "It's a new blow to the US leadership in protecting the world's most vulnerable people," he added, citing a "baseless and unnecessary decision that undermines America's interests and tarnishes her values".
Refugees International also denounced a "sad report for US leadership". "I am currently in Colombia, where some 5,000 Venezuelans seek refuge every day," said the president of the humanitarian organization, Eric Schwartz, in a statement. "What President Trump says it's hard to do for the United States, which is to welcome 18,000 people in one year, Colombia does it every four days."
With AFP
