Somali National News Agency
So
Ar
Search
  • Home
  • Local News
    Local NewsShow More
    Federal Government of Somalia’s Weekly Briefing
    August 8, 2025
    Somalia Sends Statement of Condolence and Solidarity to the Republic of Ghana
    August 8, 2025
    Minister of Health Highlights Major Hospital Rehabilitation and Construction Efforts
    August 8, 2025
    NISA Special Forces Eliminate Senior Al-Shabaab Commanders in Bariire Operation
    August 8, 2025
    Somalia Honors 31 Military Officers Awarded Scholarships from China
    August 8, 2025
  • World News
    World NewsShow More
    Israel kills aid worker in Gaza amid rising starvation deaths, US envoy meets with hostages’ families
    August 3, 2025
    Ghana Donates 40 Metric Tonnes of Cocoa to Palestine in Act of Solidarity
    August 2, 2025
    Seven people in critical condition after car ramming at LA nightclub
    July 20, 2025
    Tourist boat capsizes in Vietnam’s Ha Long Bay, killing 37
    July 20, 2025
    Israel kills more than 50 in Gaza as UN warns of ‘catastrophic hunger’
    July 19, 2025
  • Articles
    ArticlesShow More
    Somali and Allied Forces Deal Major Blow to Al-Shabaab in Coordinated Offensive
    August 6, 2025
    Somalia’s Financial War Against Al-Shabaab: Key Achievements and Strategic Milestones (2022–2025)
    August 4, 2025
    H.E. Abdisalam Abdi Ali Dhaay: Driving Somalia’s Diplomatic Renewal and International Partnerships
    August 4, 2025
    National ID Enforcement in Somalia: A Strategic Plan to boost the Country’s Economy
    July 31, 2025
    The Return of the White Star: Somali Airlines Resumes Operations After Three Decades
    July 29, 2025
  • Business
    BusinessShow More
    Somalia Unveils the Blueprint for a Modern and Sustainable Mogadishu
    December 21, 2024
    Djibouti Launches $57.4 Million Youth Entrepreneurship Project to Combat Climate Change
    November 25, 2024
    FM meets Minister of Investment of Saudi Arabia
    October 28, 2024
    President Hassan Sheikh Inaugurates New LPG Storage Center in Mogadishu
    May 12, 2024
    Collaboration of ICT transformation for digital Infrastructure
    October 24, 2023
  • Sports
    SportsShow More
    Mogadishu Stadium to Host Star-Studded Match Featuring Somali Legends and International Football Icons
    May 27, 2025
    Arsenal held at Brighton while Man City bounce-back continues
    January 5, 2025
    Galmudug wins the Inter-State Football Tournament
    January 29, 2024
    Somalia set for two int’l friendlies ahead of WC qualifier clashes against Algeria and Uganda
    October 10, 2023
    Chicago woman, 104, skydives from plane, aiming for record as the world’s oldest skydiver
    October 3, 2023
  • Tenders
    TendersShow More
Reading: Biden to allow up to 62,500 refugees into US after criticism
Share
Font ResizerAa
Somali National News AgencySomali National News Agency
  • SOMALI
  • ARABIC
Search
  • Home
  • Local News
  • World News
  • Articles
  • Business
  • Sports
  • Tenders
Follow US
©2023 || All rights reserved SONNA
Somali National News Agency > Blog > News > Biden to allow up to 62,500 refugees into US after criticism
NewsWorld News

Biden to allow up to 62,500 refugees into US after criticism

By admin
Last updated: May 4, 2021
5 Min Read
Share

President Joe Biden announced Monday, after coming under fierce criticism, that he was raising the maximum number of refugees allowed into the United States this year to 62,500 — up from the 15,000 cap imposed by his predecessor Donald Trump.

The change follows backlash from allies over Biden’s earlier decision to keep the Trump-era limits — a politically costly moment of confusion that stood out in a White House notable for its iron discipline in its first three months.

“This erases the historically low number set by the previous administration of 15,000, which did not reflect America’s values as a nation that welcomes and supports refugees,” Biden said in a statement.

“The new admissions cap will also reinforce efforts that are already underway to expand the United States’ capacity to admit refugees, so that we can reach the goal of 125,000 refugee admissions that I intend to set for the coming fiscal year.”

The program is only for refugees selected by US security and intelligence agencies from United Nations camps around the world.

The course correction was quickly welcomed by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which is controlled by Biden’s Democratic party.

“I welcome the Biden administration’s announcement that it will increase the number of refugees allowed to be resettled in the United States. This is an important step in continuing our proud, bipartisan tradition of providing refugees protection through resettlement,” the committee chairman, Senator Bob Menendez, tweeted.

The American Civil Liberties Union, a powerful advocacy group, also voiced approval, saying that the country’s “reputation” was at stake.

“We are pleased to see President Biden has abandoned the Trump administration’s abysmal refugee goal and recommitted to prioritizing helping people who are fleeing persecution around the globe,” ACLU representative Manar Waheed said.

“We recognize that the goal may not be easy and it requires rebuilding a system that was decimated by the Trump administration, but candidate Biden promised,” Waheed said. “He must fulfill that promise, lives are at stake.”

Biden needs party unity

Trump clamped down on refugees as part of the hardline border policies at the heart of his nationalist political platform.

Biden campaigned on promises to restore more traditional US attitudes. But he then backtracked after his government ran into difficulties in handling a surge of migrants entering the country illegally or claiming asylum at the Mexican border.

Last month, the White House said it needed more time to “rebuild” the post-Trump refugee program and would therefore keep the cap at 15,000 for the year.

After a top Democrat and refugee aid groups slammed Biden’s target as “appallingly low” and “deeply disappointing,” the White House issued a statement hours later saying the low number was only provisional.

In another shift from Trump’s policies, Biden announced in April that quotas were being expanded for refugees from Central America, the Middle East and Africa, while also opening the doors to three mostly Muslim countries — Somalia, Syria and Yemen.

With Monday’s announcement, the White House will hope to have calmed the political waters among Democrats just when it needs party unity to push forward on huge proposed social and infrastructure spending plans in an almost evenly divided Congress.

“We are amid the largest global refugee crisis in history, and after four years of slashing admittances to the lowest point on record, we need to return to our leadership position,” another Democratic senator, Tim Kaine, said.

“I am heartened by today’s announcement that moved toward upholding our values of accepting refugees.”

Trump set the 15,000 cap nearly a month before the November 2020 presidential election, which he lost.

Under his predecessor, Democrat Barack Obama, with whom Biden served as vice president, an average of 100,000 people were welcomed into the United States each year.

“It is in our DNA as a nation to open our door to those seeking refuge,” said US secretary of state Antony Blinken in response to Biden’s announcement Monday.

“It remains in our national interest to treat individuals applying for these programs fairly and with dignity and respect.

Source:Afp

Share This Article
Facebook Whatsapp Whatsapp Email Copy Link Print

MORE NEWS

Official Reopening of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Archives

CultureEducationLocal News
November 23, 2024

Kenya’s small farmers find respite in avocados amid changing climate

NAIROBI(SONNA) As crop diseases and pests rise in Kenya amid a rapidly changing climate that…

March 11, 2023

Federal Government of Somalia’s Weekly Briefing

Federal Government of Somalia’s Weekly Briefing Mogadishu, Friday, 8th August, 2025 1- President Hassan Sheikh…

August 8, 2025

Nimcaan Hilaac appointed to lead Waberi National Band

Mogadishu (SONNA)-Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism of the Federal Republic of Somalia, H.E. Mohamed…

March 3, 2020

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE

WHO urges African countries resuming air travel to take safety measures

The World Health Organization called on African countries Thursday to take comprehensive safety measures to “mitigate a surge” in COVID-19…

News
July 3, 2020

North Korea missile tests: Photos from space released

North Korea has released photographs which it said were taken from its most powerful missile launch in five years. The…

World News
January 31, 2022

Over 100 People Still Hospitalised in India’s Andhra Pradesh After Outbreak of ‘Mysterious Illness’

More than 100 people continue to battle a "mysterious disease" that has emerged in the Indian city of Eluru, officials said on…

NewsWorld News
December 9, 2020

Egypt-Somalia relations: All eyes on Mogadishu

As part of Egypt’s strategy to engage further with the African states, especially those in the east of the continent…

Local NewsWorld News
August 29, 2021

Somali National News Agency established in 1964. It is one of the main pillars of the Ministry of Information, Culture, and Tourism.

  • Home
  • Local News
  • World News
  • Articles
  • Business
  • Sports
  • Tenders
  • SNTV
  • RADIO MOGADISHU
  • DALKA JOURNAL
  • TOURISM DEPARTMENT

Follow US: 

  • MoICT
  • VILLA SOMALIA
  • OPM SOMALIA

All rights reserved SONNA

©2023

Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?