News > Press Releases
Turning Away Refugees Is Just Wrong
Posted on Sep 27 2019
September 27, 2019—Turning away refugees, in 2019 or 1939, betrays every principle of human rights that the United States professes to honor and uphold. Yet once again, the administration has announced stringent limits on the number of refugees the United States will accept in the year ahead: the number for 2020 has been slashed to 18,000.
During the four decades before 2017, refugee admissions averaged 95,000 per year. Then the new administration started turning away refugees. In fiscal year 2018, which began on October 1, 2017, the United States admitted only 22,491 refugees, less than half of that year’s 45,000 cap. The 2019 cap was lowered to 30,000. Although the final count is not yet in, the number of refugees admitted is clearly even lower.
“This betrayal of U.S. commitment to human rights comes during a worldwide refugee crisis,” said Veena Iyer, executive director of the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota. “Historically, we have led the world in refugee resettlement. The refugees who have come to the United States have quickly become valued and contributing members of our communities. Many are now U.S. citizens. Now, at a time of great need, we are turning our back on refugees seeking permanent homes.”
The world’s richest countries take in the fewest refugees. Middle and low-income countries take in the most refugees, holding them in camps for years until they can return home or find places for permanent resettlement. Turkey hosted 3.5 million refugees in 2017, mostly refugees from war in Syria. Pakistan and Uganda each hosted 1.4 million refugees.
Resettlement means accepting refugees who will make this country their permanent home. The United States already resettles fewer refugees, in proportion to our population, than other countries. In 2017, even before the drastic cuts to refugee resettlement took full effect, the United States resettled 102 refugees per one million residents. In the same year, Canada resettled 725 refugees per one million residents. Australia resettled 618 refugees per million residents. Norway—528.
Now the president of the United States has set the lowest-ever cap on refugee admissions—18,000 for the year 2020. We can do better than this. We must do better.