US to increase refugee intake

The announcement comes one day after Secretary of State John Kerry said the USA would raise its annual refugee cap from 70,000 to 85,000 to accommodate more Syrians fleeing their war-torn country.

The president of the European Parliament called on the EU to approve 7 billion euros ($7.9 billion) for the Middle East countries hosting millions of Syrian refugees.

“We are committed to increasing the number of refugees we take and we are looking hard at the number we can specifically manage with respect to the crisis in Syria and Europe and their migration today”, Kerry said. He said they agreed continued military support for the Syrian regime by Russian Federation or any other country risks the possibility of attracting more extremists and entrenching President Bashar al-Assad, which would hinder the potential for a resolution to the almost five-year conflict.

He continued: “Scotland has a strong track record in welcoming those who have been forced to flee their homes due to war or persecution and we stand ready to help as many people as we can in the current crisis”.

Although the US makes up less than 5 percent of the global population, it takes in one in five of the world’s migrants and is now hosting 45.8 million migrants.

In the midst of all of the confusion the Syrian refugees are facing right now, there’s still a very long journey before they can land on any American soil.

That will rise to 100-thousand the following year. Chancellor Angela Merkel and other European Union leaders are due to hold an informal summit in Brussels on Wednesday to discuss joint efforts to stem the surge of migrants, including those coming from Syria.

The anti-terrorism research organization, TRAC tells WGBH News that there have been six reported incidents of the Islamic State trying to infiltrate Europe by hiding among refugees.

A Greek worker tosses a backpack to a group of Syrian refugees aboard an overcrowded boat as they arrive on the Greek island of Lesbos after crossing a part of the Aegean Sea from the Turkish coast (seen in the background) on September 20, 2015.

The decision may disappoint those who want a stronger response to the Syrian refugee crisis and anger those who fear it could open the nation up to terrorist attacks. Past year I think we were at 70,000. For example, there is no suitable facility in Lebanon where Syrian refugees can be taken for interviews, so no interviews are occurring, according to the State Department. Oxfam America representatives said the United States refugee vetting process is so strict that there would be little chance that anyone would pose a danger.