Number of Refugees in U.S. Lowest in 40 Years

According to the State Department, the United States has admitted 11,411 people through the refugee admissions program during the 2021 fiscal year which is the lowest number in the past 40 years. Before this year, the lowest number of refugees allowed into the US was 11,814 in 2020 during the pandemic. Previously the US had surpassed other countries in refugee admissions but former President Trump slashed the number allowed in America and put a series of measures in place to streamline who was eligible.

President Biden raised the ceiling to 62,500 refugees for the 2021 fiscal year which ended last month but said that number wouldn’t be reached and cited work to undo ‘the damage of the last four years.’ The Biden administration plans to ramp up admission in the new fiscal year with a cap of 125,000 but that goal is also unlikely to be met.