Refugee program in the US

The US is the destination of thousands of immigrants who try to flee from danger, persecution, violence or war. They ask for international protection through humanitarian programs such as political asylum or refuge, yearning to build a promising future in a first-world country like the US, gain work experience and find economic stability to protect their families.

The main difference between these two programs is that refugees request entry to the US from another country, while asylees arrive at the borders or request international assistance from within the country. However, the requirements are quite similar, they must demonstrate, through verifiable evidence, that they are or could be victims of persecution or other precarious situation due to their race, religion, political opinion, nationality, among others.

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The Biden government plans to increase the refugee limit

An important pillar of the Biden administration is immigration, including humanitarian programs. The current president of the US, who took office on January 20, 2021, states that, following the country’s values as an immigrant nation, the federal government must ensure the well-being of the most vulnerable immigrant communities, as well as allow local companies to hire foreign workforce to boost the economy in times of crisis.

Regarding the refugee program, President Biden promised to increase the annual refugee limit in the US, which was substantially lowered under the Trump administration.

In fact, according to two administration officials, President Biden will sign a decree to expand and restructure the refugee program in the US. The president planned to sign this decree on Friday, January 29, 2021, however, due to delays in his schedule, this executive action should take place during the first week of February.

President Biden, during his political campaign, promised to raise the refugee limit to 125,000 annually, setting a record for the highest number of refugees in recent US history. However, it is unclear when the Biden administration specifically plans to meet this goal, either during his first year in office or over the next four years.

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The Trump administration lowered the annual refugee limit

The Trump administration also set a record regarding the refugee limit as the lowest in recent US history. For instance, during Fiscal Year (October-September) 2020, the Trump administration allowed only 18,000 refugees, and lowered this figure by 16% during Fiscal Year 2021 to 15,000 refugees, using the health crisis caused by the global Coronavirus pandemic as support.

Therefore, the Biden administration plans to restructure the refugee program to increase the annual cap and offer international protection to immigrant communities that need it most.

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