The United States will accept a maximum of 30,000 refugees for 2019, against 45,000 for fiscal year 2018, said Monday the Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
“We have proposed to resettle up to 30,000 refugees under the new refugee ceiling …”, said the head of US diplomacy at a State Department announcement.
He called the United States “the most generous country in the world for protection-based immigration and assistance.”
The ceiling of 45,000 refugees set last year was the lowest since 1980, the year of modernization of the admission system.
In fact, the United States should finally have hosted only 22,000 refugees this year, about half of the maximum allowed.
The State Department and the Pentagon were in favor of keeping the ceiling at 45,000. The reason for their change of position was not disclosed.
US President Donald Trump campaigned in 2016 promising a strict immigration framework. His administration has significantly reduced the number of refugee admissions by decrees or in camera decisions in the last 18 months.