Biden Formally Commits United States To 125,000 Refugees In Fiscal Year

President BidenJoe BidenMcConnell promises GOP won’t help raise debt ceiling in December after Schumer Ilhan Omar’s ‘tantrum’ to Biden: ‘Keep your promise to cancel student debt’ vaccine for children MORE on Friday signed a statement committing the United States to accept up to 125,000 refugees for the coming fiscal year, formalizing an earlier pledge that releases funds to help resettle them.

The ambitious announcement comes as the White House only resettled 11,411 refugees at the close of the fiscal year last week, the lowest figure in the history of the US refugee program and which has not exceeded the low of 11,814 set under Trump.

While keeping a campaign promise, the pledge comes as refugee resettlement agencies have been told to expect up to 95,000 Afghan refugees this year following the evacuation from the United States.

Biden informed Congress of his recommendation to set the refugee cap at 125,000 for the next fiscal year in September.

But the report appears to express internal doubt about the government’s ability to achieve this goal. He told Congress that the State Department will provide funding for 65,000 refugees.

“These funding levels will be reassessed and increased as the year progresses and it becomes clearer how much progress can be made against the target,” the White House wrote.

The pledge for a reassessment comes after Biden hesitated over the number of refugees early in his presidency.

Biden said in February he would raise the cap to 62,500 for this fiscal year – as part of a commitment to reach 125,000 in his first year in office.

But he slowed down the presidential resolve that officially set the new number for the program, forcing refugee resettlement agencies to cancel flights for a number of people who are expected to be resettled in March.

And when Biden finally signed the decision in April, he backtracked significantly, setting the refugee ceiling at 15,000, the same all-time low used under Trump, infuriating both supporters and Democrats in Congress.

In the face of an instant backlash, the White House again raised the refugee ceiling to 62,500, a largely ambitious figure although it was significantly lower than the ceilings set between 70,000 and 80,000 under previous administrations.

The administration largely blamed its predecessor for hampering the program during Biden’s first year in office.

“In my consultations with members of Congress, I emphasized that the State Department is committed to rebuilding our US refugee admissions program in line with our long tradition of providing hope and refuge to those fleeing. persecution. We are working diligently to rebuild the infrastructure of the program, ”said Secretary of State Antoine BlinkAntony BlinkenBiden Formally Commits United States To 125,000 Refugees In Fiscal Year Drugs, Weapons and Money: United States, Mexico Intensify Cooperation Against Cross-Border Crime Senate Democrat Says Hundreds of Americans and Afghan allies arrived in Qatar after being stranded at Afghan airport MORE said in a statement Friday.