"We propose resettling up to 30,000 refugees under the new refugee ceiling..." Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told reporters on Tuesday.
The previous limit was 45,000. The United States has a population of about 308 million per its 2010 census.
The United States is currently processing 280,000 asylum seekers, and 800,000 are already in the country.
"These expansive figures continue the United States’ longstanding record of the most generous nation in the world when it comes to protection-based immigration and assistance," said Pompeo.
He noted that US humanitarian assistance abroad amounted to $8 billion in Fiscal Year 2017.
"This year’s proposed refugee ceiling must be considered in the context of the many other forms of protection and assistance offered by the United States," added Pompeo.
The policy has been met by criticism, particularly by migrants from Latin America and by those from the conflict-ridden Middle East.
"Just five Yazidis, a brutally persecuted religious minority, have been admitted this year," stated the International Rescue Committee (IRC), referring to the ethno-religious minority that faced a genocide by ISIS in Shingal beginning in 2014.
The US-based NGO, with significant operations in the Kurdistan Region and Iraq, said it was an opportunity for the Trump administration to show its "humanitarian heart."
"In justifying its policy intention, the Administration has pitted those seeking asylum against refugees. A choice between asylum programs and refugee programs is a false one," added IRC.
The United States has admitted an overage of 95,000 refugees yearly over the past 40 years.
"The IRC’s position is that the U.S. admissions ceiling, to ensure continued U.S. global leadership, must be at least 75,000 refugees," it added.
from Rudaw https://ift.tt/2NUuAvS
via Defense News
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