Yesterday’s article by Voice of America outlined the different sides in the debate surrounding the Obama administration’s proposal to admit 110,000 refugees next year, as stated in a report that was leaked earlier this week.
While refugee organizations welcomed the proposal, but would have preferred to see even higher numbers, some Senators voiced their disapproval. In a recent press release, IRAP supported the proposal as a step in the right direction. Nevertheless, Policy Director Betsy Fisher told Voice of America that “the goal of 200,000 is a good number. […] It is a significant increase from current levels, but it’s still a tiny percentage of the U.S. population and a relatively small proportion of individuals who are in need of resettlement.”
The Proposed Refugee Admissions for FY 17 Report to the Congress came just in time for the UN Summits on Refugees and Migrants, where President Obama will urge other nations to do more for refugees. Civil society organizations are hoping to see increased commitments to refugee resettlement from other Member States as well.
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