Tag: religious persecution

Presidential Determination on Refugee Admissions for Fiscal 2024 

On September 29, 2023, President Biden signed the Presidential Determination on Refugee Admissions for Fiscal Year 2024 (10/01/23–09/30/24).The new annual limit is 125,000.[1]

This Presidential document also stated, “The world is facing an unprecedented global displacement crisis in which record numbers of people have been forced to flee war, persecution, and instability. The United States has worked to rebuild, streamline, and expand the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program. In 2023, the Department of State, in coordination with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, launched the Welcome Corps, an innovative program that empowers everyday Americans to welcome refugees arriving through the U. S. Refugee Admissions Program, as well as Welcome Corps on Campus, a targeted higher education sponsorship initiative that enables U.S. colleges and universities to play a leading role in resettling refugee students. Admitting 125,000 refugees—an ambitious target not achieved in three decades—is now within reach.”

“As part of today’s Determination by President Biden, the United States has exponentially increased our resettlement efforts for individuals from Latin America and the Caribbean to provide protection pathways in our region. The Administration also remains focused on expanding the resettlement of key populations of concern, including our Afghan allies; Rohingya refugees; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex (LGBTQI+) individuals; human rights defenders; and individuals persecuted for their religious beliefs.”

“Our leadership on refugee resettlement reflects our history as a nation of welcome. Since the passage of the Refugee Act in 1980, the United States has admitted over three million refugees. Alongside robust humanitarian aid and diplomacy, U.S. refugee resettlement helps promote stability in regions experiencing crisis and demonstrates U.S. responsibility-sharing with refugee-hosting countries. The United States will continue to be a global leader in providing safety and opportunity for the world’s most vulnerable.”

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[1] State Dep’t, The Presidential Determination on Refugee Admissions for Fiscal Year 2024, http://www.state.gov (Sept. 29, 2023).

U.S.  Sets 18,000 Quota for New Refugee Admissions to U.S.

On November 1, President Trump set 18,000 as the quota for refugee admissions into the U.S. for Fiscal 2020 (October 1, 2019—September 30, 2020).[1] These admissions shall be allocated among refugees of special humanitarian concern to the United States in accordance with the following allocations:

Number Category
5,000 Refugees who:have been persecuted or have a well-founded fear of persecution on account of religion
4,000 Iraqi refugees
1,500 Refugees who are nationals or habitual residents of El Salvador, Guatemala, or Honduras:
7,500 Other refugees
18,000 TOTAL

The President also specified that for Fiscal Year 2020, the following persons may, if otherwise qualified, be considered refugees for the purpose of admission to the United States within their countries of nationality or habitual residence: (a.) persons in Cuba; (b.) persons in Eurasia and the Baltics; (c ) persons in Iraq; (d)  persons in Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador; and (e) in exceptional circumstances, persons identified by a United States Embassy in any location.

Moreover, President Trump added another potential barrier to refugee entrants with an executive order requiring state and local governments to provide written consent to refugee resettlements.

Reactions [2]

This quota is the lowest since the introduction of the U.S. refugee program in 1980. In Fiscal 2017, the last full year of the Obama Administration, the quota was 85,000 while the Trump Administration’s first two years (Fiscal 2018 and 2019) set the quotas at 53,000 and 30,000.

The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees said, “At a time of record forced displacement in the world, lower admissions constrain UNHCR’s ability to deliver on its refugee protection mandate and diminish our humanitarian negotiating power at the global level. As the agency mandated by the UN General Assembly to lead and coordinate the international response to refugees, UNHCR is naturally troubled by this trend in the United States and elsewhere.”

Similar negative reactions came from international non-governmental organizations concerned with refugees.

The International Rescue Committee said the U.S. decision broke with 40 years or precedent. “This measure completely ignores the welcome that communities have provided to refugees, as well as the important contributions resettled refugees have made to these communities all across the country,” Jennifer Sime, its senior vice president, said.

Church World Service, a resettlement agency, said through Its president, Rev. John L. Mccullough,  “With one final blow, the Trump administration has snuffed out Lady Liberty’s torch and ended our nation’s legacy of compassion and welcome.”

Betsy Fisher, the director of strategy for the International Refugee Assistance Project, said,“The shockingly low refugee admissions goal and the executive order will all but ensure that people in need of safety will be left in dangerous conditions and separated from their families. These policies will prevent refugees from being resettled, even though communities across the nation stand ready to welcome them.”

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[1] White House, Presidential Determination on Refugee Admissions for Fiscal Year 2020 (Nov. 1, 2019); State Dep’t, Presidential  Determination on Refugee Admissions for Fiscal 2020 (Nov. 2, 2019); Assoc. Press, Trump Approves Plan to Cap Refugees at 18,000 in 2020, N.Y. Times (Nov. 2, 2019); Shear & Kanno-Youngs, Trump Slashes Refugee Cap to 18,000, Curtailing U.S. Role as Haven, N.Y. Times (Sept. 26, 2019).

[2] UNHCR, UNHCR troubled by latest U.S. refugee resettlement cut, UNHCR (Nov. 2, 2019); Reuters, UN ‘troubled’ by Donald Trump’s cut to refugee numbers, Newshub (Nov. 3, 2019).