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US Hits Lowered Refugee Cap for 2019 as Another Decrease Looms

Victoria Macchi

   WASHINGTON - The U.S. reached its self-imposed cap of 30,000 refugee
   arrivals Monday, the last day of the 2019 fiscal year, as the Trump
   administration eyes another major reduction in refugee admittances from
   across the globe for 2020.

   More than half of refugees from Oct. 1, 2018 to Sept. 30, 2019 came
   from African nations, with Democratic Republic of Congo accounting for
   nearly 13,000 of those admitted.

   Myanmar (4,932), Ukraine (4,451), Eritrea (1,757), and Afghanistan
   (1,198) rounded out the top five countries of origin. Iraq and Syria
   followed, each with fewer than 600.

   Last year, the White House set the admissions ceiling at 45,000, of
   which less than half -- 22,491 refugees -- were resettled in the U.S.

   Last week, the U.S. State Department announced it is seeking to
   resettle only 18,000 refugees in the new fiscal year, which began Oct.
   1. If enacted, the ceiling would be [1]America's lowest since the
   modern refugee program was approved by Congress in 1980.

   While the decision is not final, pending consultations with Congress
   before the administration issues the official number, the White House
   has consistently pushed for lower refugee admissions under President
   Donald Trump.

References

   1. https://www.voanews.com/usa/immigration/white-house-aims-historic-low-refugee-resettlement

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