Biden administration to expand US refugee cap to 1,25,000 from coming fiscal year

As a part of a robust refugee resettlement program, United States President Joe Biden's administration has decided to double the admissions cap in the upcoming fiscal year beginning from 1 October. The announcement made on 20 September reaffirmed Biden's promises made during his election campaign and denounced the settlement plans that were limited by former US President Donald Trump. As per the new cap confirmed by the State Department, the refugee admissions limit will be raised from 62,500 to 1,25,000.

US State Department spokesperson Ned Price said, "The Department of State, together with the Departments of Homeland Security (DHS) and Health and Human Services (HHS), transmitted the President’s Report to Congress on the proposed Presidential Determination on Refugee Admissions for the Fiscal Year 2022 to the Committees on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives and the Senate." The move comes as a part of the commitment to refugee resettlement in line with US's "long tradition of providing a safe haven and opportunity to individuals fleeing persecution," Price said in his statement. The move was also welcomed by the advocates of the US.

"The United States has long been a global leader in refugee resettlement. The U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) reflects our tradition as a nation that has long welcomed immigrants and refugees.  It is an important, enduring, and ongoing expression of our commitment to international humanitarian principles and reflects the best of America’s values and compassion," Ned Price said in a statement.

The US plans to resettle over 40,000 Afghans

The revised refugee admission plan will also set a course for the 40,000 Afghan asylum seekers who fled the country after the Taliban seized control of Kabul. However, it is still unclear as to how many will be formally admitted under the system. It is noteworthy that under the expanded refugee intake program expected to meet the "needs generated by humanitarian crises around the globe," only 7,637 were admitted to the US, the Refugee Processing Center told CNN.

As per the new admissions ceiling proposed by the Biden administration, the regional allocations would include 40,000 slots for Africa, 15,000 for East Asia, 10,000 for Europe and Central Asia, 15,000 for Latin America and the Caribbean, 35,000 for Near East and South Asia, and a reserve of 10,000.

Image: AP