World Relief Applauds Biden Administration’s Renewed Commitment to a Presidential Determination of 62,500 for Refugee Resettlement in FY2021

May 3, 2021

CONTACT:
Lauren Carl
lauren.carl@pinkston.co
(703) 388-6734

BALTIMORE  – Today, President Biden raised the refugee ceiling for FY2021 to 62,500, following through on an earlier commitment to restore U.S. leadership on refugee protection and leaving behind discriminatory restrictions that effectively excluded many vulnerable refugees from being able to be resettled to the United States. This change comes after repeated calls from World Relief, volunteers and churches, the refugee advocacy community and refugees themselves, that urged the president to honor his previous commitments to refugees to raise the refugee ceiling.  

“We are relieved and encouraged to see a renewed commitment to keep the United States a beacon of light for those fleeing persecution,” commented World Relief President Scott Arbeiter. “Without this key step, many refugee families would have continued to be kept apart and many vulnerable refugees unable to find protection here. We thank President Biden and encourage his ongoing support for refugees.”

In his first days in office, President Biden indicated that he would set the refugee admissions goal at 62,500 for the remainder of FY2021, paving the way for a goal of 125,000 for FY2022 – the number on which President Biden campaigned.

“At a time when the world is facing the most significant displacement crisis since WWII, the need for the U.S. to welcome and care for refugees has never been more urgent,” added Jenny Yang, senior vice president of advocacy and policy for World Relief. “This new Presidential Determination is a necessary first action, and many refugees’ lives will be changed as a result of the President’s actions today. There is much work still to be done to rebuild the resettlement infrastructure and restore refugee processing, but we look forward to partnering with the Biden-Harris administration on this important work.”

To download a PDF version of this press release, click here.

About World Relief

World Relief is a global Christian humanitarian organization that brings sustainable solutions to the world’s greatest problems – disasters, extreme poverty, violence, oppression, and mass displacement. For over 75 years, we’ve partnered with churches and community leaders in the U.S. and abroad to bring hope, healing and transformation to the most vulnerable.

Learn more at worldrelief.org.

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