Trump Administration to Record Decline in Refugee Acceptance

This is the lowest figure in the history of the modern refugee resettlement program.

Photo: Depositphoto

President Donald Trump’s administration said it plans to allow only 2020 18 refugees to enter the country in fiscal year 000. This is the minimum figure in the history of the modern program of resettlement of refugees, writes Voice of America.

The administration said it had to turn its attention to processing hundreds of thousands of accumulated asylum applications, most of which come from Central American migrants arriving across the border with Mexico.

The decision immediately sparked criticism from immigrant rights advocates who insisted that the administration violated the country's humanitarian obligations.

“The existing burden on the US immigration system needs to be alleviated before a large number of refugees can be resettled,” the State Department said in a statement.

On the subject: What you need to know if you applied for asylum in the USA and ended up in an immigration court

Reducing immigration has taken center stage in Trump's politics. One of his first decrees after taking office was dedicated to reducing the maximum number of refugees in the 2017 year to 50 000 people. This is less than half of the figure a few months earlier set by former President Barack Obama.

In 2018, the number of refugees was reduced to 45 000, and in 2019 to 30 000, despite objections by senior officials from the Ministry of Defense who insisted that the program was important for encouraging and attracting military allies abroad.

According to a senior administration official, the new decree provides for special quotas in the interests of national security and foreign policy.

On the subject: Supreme court tightens asylum rules for US immigrants

Of the 18 000 places permitted, 4 000 is reserved for Iraqis, 5 000 for those fleeing religious persecution, and 1 500 for residents of the countries of the Northern Triangle - Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador. Thus, on all the rest there are 7 500 places (about 40 percent).

This figure is not related to 350 000 asylum applications that the United States expects to receive in 2020.

Migrant advocates criticized the decision.

“This is a very sad day for America,” said David Miliband, head of the International Rescue Committee.

“This decision further damages America’s leadership in protecting the world's most vulnerable people,” he added.

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