U.S. Government Must Process Refugee Admissions to Meet Refugee Cap for FY ‘23

WASHINGTON – Yesterday, the Biden administration announced the Fiscal Year 2023 Presidential Determination, setting a goal of admitting and resettling 125,000 refugees over the next year. Human Rights First urged the administration to raise the refugee admissions goal for 2023, but welcomes its decision to maintain the admissions goal set for FY 2022.

Earlier this year, Human Rights First joined other national, state, and local organizations dedicated to upholding humanitarian protection and the rights of all forcibly displaced people in calling on the administration to set a more ambitious goal of resettling 200,000 refugees in the coming year.

The organization urges the administration and Congress to ensure that the United States meets this goal to resettle refugees who need this life-saving protection and calls for robust funding for the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) to be included in the FY23 budget.

“We commend the Biden administration for taking steps to rebuild the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program, which was decimated under the former administration, but at a time when more people than ever are seeking refugee protection, more is needed from the administration and the Congress to bring refugees to safety,” said Eleanor Acer, senior director for refugee protection at Human Rights First. “The goal of admitting 125,000 refugees is robust. Now the United States must work to live up to this achievable goal. The past year has shown how adequate support from Congress and the Biden administration helps resettlement agencies, non-profits, and people in American communities provide welcome for refugees. We look forward to collaborating on creative and swift actions by the United States to meet urgent humanitarian needs of refugees.”