Washington-SANA
The administration of US President Donald Trump has announced its intention to reduce the number of refugees to a new record level and allow the acceptance of only 15,000 refugees in the United States in fiscal year 2021.
Reuters quoted the US State Department as saying that “this proposal reflects the priority given to the safety and well-being of Americans, especially in light of the ongoing Corona pandemic,” noting that the maximum number of refugees was reduced to 18,000 refugees last year.
For his part, Krish Vinarajah, Executive Director of the Immigration and Refugee Service, described in a post on Twitter the cuts as "a complete abandonment of moral duty."
Trump's Democratic rival in the presidential election, Joe Biden, had pledged to raise refugee admission to 125,000 annually if he wins these elections next November.
Usually the president sets the permissible levels of refugees annually near the start of each fiscal year. Under law, the president must consult with Congress before determining the annual number of refugees the administration intends to allow, but the final decision is determined by the White House.