New York City-  In response to the announcement that the Biden administration will increase the presidential determination setting the refugee admissions goal for the remainder of this fiscal year at 62,500, Voice for Refuge Executive Director Erol Kekic issued the following statement:

“After months of delays, we are glad to see President Biden finally doing the right thing and fulfilling his promise to increase the refugee admissions goal to 62,500. The damage caused by the delay cannot be overstated: thousands of refugees who were ready for travel to the United States last month have seen their medical and security checks start to expire. This means that they will have to wait months—if not years—to actually be resettled in the United States and reunited with loved ones.

“Four years of Trump’s xenophobic anti-refugee policies nearly destroyed the life-saving refugee resettlement program and our nation’s commitment to welcome. Today refugee families and American communities can breathe a sigh of relief and prepare for a brighter future.  

“We urge the administration to take immediate steps to rebuild a robust refugee resettlement program, resettling as many refugees this year as possible and keeping its promise to set a FY 2022 refugee admissions goal of 125,000. We also urge President Biden to urgently appoint a White House senior advisor to support rebuilding the resettlement program and to nominate a new Assistant Secretary of the State Department Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration–a crucial position for reaching the administration’s robust refugee admissions goals. We look forward to working together to ensure that refugees have a voice in the policies that impact them and their families.”

About Voice for Refuge: Voice for Refuge is the first 501(c)4 organization created to advance pro-refugee policies at the national, state, and local level and to hold elected leaders accountable to upholding America’s legacy of welcome. Voice for Refuge is educating the public about the benefits of refugee resettlement, advocating for pro-refugee policies in the U.S. Congress and state legislatures, and increasing civic engagement among refugees through non-partisan voter education. Voice for Refuge will also promote the representation of refugees in government by supporting former refugees and pro-refugee candidates running for office at the national, state, and local level. For more information or to get involved visit voiceforrefuge.org or contact info@voiceforrefuge.org.

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