The United States accepted only a quarter of the promised number of Ukrainian refugees: the White House says Trump is to blame

Upon taking office, US President Joe Biden vowed to quickly change his predecessor's policies and increase the number of refugees allowed in the country. This promise remains largely unfulfilled due in part to unforeseen global crises. Writes about it Newsweek.

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Since President Biden pledged to take in 100 Ukrainian refugees in March, the US has only taken in about 000, according to Department of Homeland Security statistics.

However, over the same period Eastern European countries took in millions, while the UK and Canada, much smaller than the US, took in about 60 and 000 refugees respectively.

The US is lagging behind because the current settlement infrastructure has lost the ability to support refugees, said Danielle Grigsby, director of external relations for the Community Sponsorship Center.

Prior to the Donald Trump administration, the US was the world leader in resettling refugees fleeing war, persecution and violence around the world, according to the Center for Global Development. But from 2016 to 2020, the number of refugees admitted to the US fell by almost 86%.

According to the US Refugee Council report, the lower acceptance rate has led to funding cuts, causing more than 100 US resettlement offices to close during Trump's tenure.

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“Internal infrastructure for receiving and settling new arrivals was destroyed under the previous administration and the rebuilding process is still ongoing,” Grigsby said.

Since taking office, President Biden has dedicated himself to rebuilding the refugee settlement infrastructure. He raised the cap on annual refugee intake to 125, returning to pre-Trump levels.

In addition, in cooperation with the Department of Homeland Security, he proposed another solution to the problem - he launched a new program called Unity for Ukraine.

Instead of helping refugees resettle through traditional routes, this additional program allows individuals and organizations to directly sponsor Ukrainians who wish to enter the country. Approved candidates receive employment and residence permits in the United States under a humanitarian parole for up to two years.

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Officials hope the program, launched on April 25, will help speed up the admissions process and allow more refugees to find asylum in the United States.

“This program will complement the existing legal avenues available to Ukrainians,” President Biden said. “It will provide a convenient channel for safe legal migration from Europe to the US for Ukrainians who have a sponsor, such as a family or an NGO.”

Since the introduction of the program, more than 45 potential volunteers have submitted applications indicating their interest in supporting a Ukrainian refugee.

“The US State Department stands with the people of Ukraine,” Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said at an April 21 press conference. “We will help fulfill the president’s promise to take in 100 Ukrainian citizens and others forced to leave their homes in Ukraine.”

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