FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 1, 2024
PRESS CONTACT
Spencer Tilger | media@refugeerights.org
“AMERICA IS BETTER AND STRONGER BECAUSE OF REFUGEES AND THEIR FAMILIES”: IRAP WELCOMES NEW PRESIDENTIAL DETERMINATION ON REFUGEE ADMISSIONS
(New York, NY) – Last night, the Biden administration announced the Presidential Determination on Refugee Admissions, setting the annual refugee resettlement target for Fiscal Year 2025 at 125,000. In Fiscal Year 2024, the U.S. resettled 100,000 refugees, the highest in 30 years, and the next administration should continue to make the investments necessary to reach or surpass the 125,000 goal.
The following is a statement from Sunil Varghese, Senior Director of Global Policy at IRAP:
“We commend the Biden Administration for rebuilding and sustaining the U.S. refugee resettlement program. As a recent bipartisan letter signed by nearly 500 state and local officials stated, America is ‘better and stronger because of refugees and their families.’
Under President Biden, the United States has taken several steps to make the overseas refugee processing system more innovative and efficient. We urge this administration, as well as the next, to further these advancements, while also growing domestic refugee resettlement capacity to more accurately reflect this country’s enormous capacity and will to welcome, protect, and grow from the contributions of refugees.”
Bahati Kanyamanza, a former refugee who serves as Global Partnerships Director at IRAP, recently penned an op-ed for Common Dreams: “Biden Should Back Refugee Resettlement to Strengthen America,” which stated in part:
“As President Biden looks toward his final months in office and his legacy, supporting a strong and sustained resettlement program will be a way to reaffirm America’s commitment to humanitarian values and secure a lasting impact for future generations. Strengthening this program is not only the right thing to do but also a smart and compassionate decision that reflects our nation’s core values.”
Background Resources
- Learn more about the bipartisan letter from nearly 500 state and local elected officials from all 50 states and DC to President Biden: HERE
- Read Bahati Kanyamanza’s recent op-ed in Common Dreams: “Biden Should Back Refugee Resettlement to Strengthen America”
The International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP) is a global legal aid and advocacy organization working to create a world where refugees and all people seeking safety are empowered to claim their right to freedom of movement and a path to lasting refuge. Everyone should have a safe place to live and a safe way to get there.
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