FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE—On September 30, 2024, RefugePoint welcomed the news that President Biden signed the Presidential Determination on Refugee Admissions for Fiscal Year 2025, authorizing the admission of up to 125,000 refugees to the U.S. during the fiscal year 2025. This reinforces the Biden administration’s commitment to expanding resettlement in the U.S. and other legal pathways for refugees. This commitment has been evident through the historic number of refugees who have resettled in the U.S. this year—more than during any year in the past two decades.
“This is a life-saving declaration,” said RefugePoint CEO Sasha Chanoff of the determination. “It means children will be able to reunite with their parents, women at risk will have a path to safety, people from LGBTQI+ communities can have hope for a better future, and those in great peril will be able to find security.”
Resettlement is an important protection tool and durable solution that has directly saved millions of lives. Over two million refugees worldwide are currently in need of resettlement because they cannot safely return home or stay in the country to which they’ve fled. When people have access to resettlement and complementary pathways, they are less likely to risk their lives on dangerous journeys; furthermore, the communities that receive them are well-prepared to help them integrate and thrive.
Refugees and asylum seekers add billions more to the U.S. economy than they take. According to a recent study by the Department of Health and Human Services, the positive fiscal impact from refugees and asylum seekers was nearly $124 billion between 2005 and 2019. Welcoming refugees into the U.S. is more than just a moral imperative—it’s an economic one.
The global refugee crisis requires well-planned solutions, including resettlement and other legal (complementary) pathways such as sponsorship, family reunification, education, and work opportunities, which create safety and opportunity for people once they arrive. Together with our partners, RefugePoint is working to connect more refugees with safe, legal options by expanding resettlement and advancing complementary pathways.
We look forward to continuing to work alongside the U.S. Department of State, the UN Refugee Agency and other partners to help the U.S. achieve the FY25 admissions goal of welcoming 125,000 refugees to the U.S.
Cover Image: Mangok Bol (center) greets his niece and nephews in Boston, MA, following their resettlement through the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program. Photo: Alexis Felder, RefugePoint