Advocating for Resettlement

Refugee Resettlement FAQ

• How many refugees are there across the globe?

  The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) estimates there are more than 122 million forcibly displaced across the globe. While a majority of people are internally displaced, 42.7 million are refugees and individuals who have been forced to flee their countries and seek refuge elsewhere. The total displaced population of 122 million is similar to the population of Japan, the 12th most-populated country in the world.

• Where are refugees from? What countries host most refugees?

  69 percent of all refugees are from five countries: Syria, Venezuela, Ukraine, Afghanistan, and South Sudan. 69 percent of refugees are hosted by their neighboring countries. Countries hosting the largest number of refugees are Türkiye, Colombia, Germany, Pakistan, and Uganda.

  Millions of refugees live in refugee camps or settlements, whereas others are integrated into their host countries. On average, refugees who remain in camps are more likely to live below the national extreme poverty line, although finding safe housing and employment outside the camp is also very challenging.

• What issues are driving people to flee their homes and countries?

  Millions of refugees around the globe face persecution due to race, ethnicity, religion, nationality, gender, and political and social group affiliations. International displacement is driven by a confluence of factors, including inter- and intra- state conflict, political instability, and, increasingly, climate disasters.

  Often, there is overlap between some of these factors. However, to qualify for refugee status according to the 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol, a refugee is an individual who “is unable or unwilling to return to their country of origin owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, or political opinion.”

  This refugee status definition is foundational to the definitions of refugees codified into national laws across the globe, including the U.S. Parties to the 1951 Convention and its 1967 Protocol. Nations who signed these international laws are also subject to the principle of non-refoulement, meaning they cannot return persons to their home countries if their lives are threatened or persecuted for the reasons mentioned in the refugee status definition. While many refugees are fleeing countries due to climate change impacts, their refugee status is determined by other factors impacting their displacement since there are no international protections for people displaced by climate disasters. Read LIRS’ July 2021 Climate Report to learn more.

• How does the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program work?

  The Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM) at the U.S. Department of State has traditionally managed the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) in coordination with the Office of Refugee Resettlement and with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

  When individuals flee their countries due to fear of persecution due to race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership of a social group, they can qualify as refugees under the 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol.

  Refugees are brought to the U.S. through different priority categories, which are explained below:

  Priority 1: Cases that are identified and referred to the program by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), a United States Embassy, or a designated non-governmental organization (NGO).

  Priority 2: Groups of special humanitarian concern identified by the U.S. refugee program.

  Priority 3: Family reunification cases (spouses, unmarried children under 21, and parents of persons lawfully admitted to the United States as refugees or asylees or permanent residents (green card holders) or U.S. citizens who previously had refugee or asylum status). For information on the current nationalities eligible for Priority 3 processing, see the U.S. Department of State page.

  Priority 4:  In January 2023, the Department of State and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), launched a private sponsorship program, Welcome Corps, to increase community participation in the U.S. resettlement process. Refugees who arrive through this program have a Priority 4 designation.

• How and why does Global Refuge welcome refugees?

  Rooted in faith, Global Refuge believes that we are called to welcome those fleeing persecution and seeking refuge in the United States. Resettlement is a life-saving program for the most vulnerable and a practice in devotion for many in receiving communities. Across the U.S., faith communities remain ready and eager to welcome refugees.

  At Global Refuge, we welcome refugees because we believe that every person has God-given dignity. We take seriously what the Bible says about welcoming strangers (Matthew 25: 31-40) and we see God-given dignity in every person that we serve. We look to the social teachings of the Lutheran Church and the experience of immigrants in the U.S. to inform our welcome to newcomers.

  Global Refuge works to welcome refugees into communities that best suit the needs of the refugees. Global Refuge and network partners operate resettlement and placement sites across the United States – making it one of the largest resettlement agencies in the United States. The Global Refuge network receives government funding that supports our work of welcome through robust case management services for newcomers as they work to integrate into their new communities.

• Are refugees subject to vetting and security screening?

  Yes. All refugees must undergo a stringent series of screenings, USCIS interviews, security vetting, and medical checks prior to their arrival in the U.S.

  After the screening and vetting process has concluded, refugees are then connected with one of the national resettlement agencies across the United States that welcome the refugees into communities, help them secure housing, find employment, support language learning services, and support their overall integration into their new communities.

  
• What is the Presidential Determination (PD) and how is it determined?

  While faith groups had long welcomed those forced to flee, the U.S. refugee admissions program was formally established by Congress through the Refugee Act of 1980. The Refugee Act amended other immigration laws and created an annual admission limit, which could be set by the President based on the global humanitarian situation warranting the resettlement of more refugees in the United States.

  The Refugee Act requires that the President annually consults with Congress to assess the scope of global humanitarian disaster, sets a U.S. admissions goal based on global needs and congressional funding, and provides a pipeline for internationally displaced populations to lawfully enter the U.S. after extensive security screening and vetting processes. After this assessment and consultation process, the President sets an annual determination, or goal, on refugee admissions for that particular year. The annual determination is often called the “PD.”

• How is it determined who gets to come as a refugee to the U.S.?

  The U.S. resettles the most vulnerable of refugees and also looks to reunify families. Additionally, the PD includes regional allocations that designate ranges on the number of refugees from a particular region in the world can be resettled. This allocation changes annually based on areas of humanitarian need.

• How has the refugee admissions ceiling varied over time? Why is it important?

  The actual number of refugees welcomed to the United States has varied based upon a variety of factors, including the respective administration’s prioritization of the refugee program, the annual Presidential Determination, and Congressional appropriations. See the Migration Policy Institute’s graph below comparing the PD on resettlement admissions to the number of refugees admitted to the U.S. between 1980 and 2024.

  
• What has the PD been in recent years? What is it for 2024?

  In recent years, there have been extensive cutbacks to the USRAP, followed by extensive rebuilding.

  2020: In October 2020, the Trump Administration limited refugee admissions to 15,000 in fiscal year 2021, with the lowest PD since the establishment of the refugee admissions program in 1980.

  2021: In 2021, only 11,411 refugees were welcomed to the U.S. This is the lowest refugee admissions since the passage of the Refugee Act in 1980. This unsettling outcome, which had grave human consequences, underscores the importance of an ambitious PD on refugee admissions.

  2022: The Biden Administration set a  PD of 125,000. The Biden Administration only resettled 25,465 refugees in fiscal year 2022 due to the previous degradation of USRAP.

  2023: President Biden set the PD at 125,000 refugees. During this year, significant strides in building capacity and streamlining refugee processing were made and 60,014 refugees were ultimately admitted.

  2024: President Biden again set the PD for the admission of up to 125,000 refugees. The Biden administration ultimately resettled just over 100,000 refugees in Fiscal Year 2024, the most in three decades.

  2025: President Biden once again set the PD at 125,000 refugees for FY 2025. About 32,000 refugees arrived between Oct. 1, 2024 and Jan. 20, 2025. However, newly inaugurated President Trump signed an executive order to suspend new refugee admissions. While the PD of 125,000 set by former President Biden has technically remained in effect, very few admissions have occurred nationwide since January 2025.