The Trump administration has confirmed that the U.S. plans to set a limit of 45,000 refugees for the next fiscal year.
This is the lowest cap since the refugee admissions program began in 1975, although from the past couple of years actual admissions have dipped, sparking outrage from refugee resettlement groups and top Democrats.
The administration plans to admit 19,000 refugees from Africa; 5,000 from East Asia; 2,000 from Europe and Central Asia; 1,500 from Latin America and the Caribbean; and 17,500 from Near East and South Asia, according to an administration plan sent to Congress.
“We want to make sure that this is a secure process and that no one is allowed through that might endanger the security of America,” one official told reporter, pointing to new vetting procedures the administration has already implemented as well as future ones that are being considered under an ongoing 120-day review that ends Oct. 24.
Asylum seekers come to the U.S. and file for asylum from persecution overseas, as opposed to refugees also fleeing persecution who undergo an extensive screening process abroad and are then resettled in the U.S.
The new vetting procedures could mean longer processing times for refugees, and between this and the asylum-seeker backlog, the administration will not be able to process as many people, according to the officials. After the 120-day review of the vetting procedures, the administration will announce what changes will be implemented, but some additional procedures have been added already.
People who are accepted for resettlement in US are selected by the United Nations refugee agency from among the most vulnerable displaced people.
Widows with children, the elderly and the disabled receive top priority and are subjected to a thorough screening process by US security and intelligence agencies.
The process takes anywhere between 18 months to two years, and after that the refugees are assigned to resettlement agencies working under contract with the State Department.
The agencies help families find housing and employment, mainly in small and medium cities around the United States.
Last year, the Obama administration originally proposed a 100,000 ceiling during consultations, later changing it to 110,000. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was on Capitol Hill Wednesday evening to consult the Senate and House Judiciary Committees, so Trump’s decision must wait until after that.
The deadline for his presidential determination is Sunday.
