The White House announced that U.S. President Joe Biden has agreed to double the refugee admission quota for the fiscal year 2022. In a memorandum published by the White House, it stated: "Under the authority granted to me... I hereby authorize the following actions: increasing the refugee admission quota to the United States for the fiscal year 2022 to 125,000 individuals, for humanitarian reasons or to serve national interests."
On September 20, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the United States is reclaiming its global role regarding the resettlement of refugees facing risks worldwide. Blinken wrote on Twitter: "The United States will reclaim its role in leading the world in the resettlement of the most vulnerable populations." He emphasized that refugee resettlement is a critical issue for U.S. foreign policy and national security goals, reflecting the essence of American values.
It is noteworthy that during the administration of former President Donald Trump, the United States practically stopped accepting refugees, setting a quota of 15,000 for 2021. Additionally, refugees have not been accepted in practice due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Biden had previously signed three executive orders to reform the immigration process, stating: "We need an appropriate immigration system, and the executive decisions I signed relate to immigration and travel bans on majority-Muslim countries."
