The United States has long been a global leader in the resettlement of refugees—and the need for such leadership remains enormous. The number of refugees around the world who are fleeing violence or persecution in their home countries in search of safety abroad has grown dramatically over the past decade.
Forcible Displacement Is on the Rise Globally
Refugee Flows Are Increasing Worldwide
How U.S. Refugee Admissions Numbers Are Determined
The President, in consultation with Congress, determines the numerical ceiling for refugee admissions each year.
The Definition of a “Refugee”
Under U.S. law, a “refugee” is a person who is unable or unwilling to return to his or her home country because of a “well-founded fear of persecution” due to race, membership in a particular social group, political opinion, religion, or national origin. This definition is based on the United Nations 1951 Convention and 1967 Protocols relating to the Status of Refugees, which the United States became a party to in 1968. Following the Vietnam War and the U.S. experience resettling Indochinese refugees, Congress passed the Refugee Act of 1980, which incorporated the Convention's definition into U.S. law and provides the legal basis for today's U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP).
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