Today, the Biden administration made the shocking announcement that the U.S.’s refugee admissions cap this year will remain at its all-time low level of 15,000. Melanie Nathan of African Human Rights Coalition joined a chorus of advocates immediately criticizing the move.
Nathan noted, "How can the Biden admin endorse and amplify the cruelty of the low as set by the Trump administration? We are disappointed and horrified especially for the LGBTQI refugees whose resettlement can be a matter of life or death, given they are often caught up in hostile host protection spaces."
After an outcry Biden reversed the decision and reinstated the previously promised number of approximately 60,000. This is still not enough, and the hope is that these numbers will continue to increase after the 125,000 for next year is implemented.
The good news is that the President is ending the discriminatory quotas on refugees who can be resettled from certain countries. It is simply awful to think that Biden came so close to breaking his original promise and this shows how tenuous and uncertain the milieu is for refugees.
"We must continue our pooled efforts to urge the administration to keep increasing the resettlement number to show support for refugees in need of urgent and critical resettlement." Nathan noted.
Melanie Nathan.
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