The United Nations urged Donald Trump to continue to offer asylum to refugees fleeing war and persecution.
Trump put a ban on refugees entering the US from Syria and six other Islamic countries.
A record number of 38,901 Muslim refugees entered the U.S. in fiscal year 2016.
Reuters reported:
The United Nations refugee agency and International Organization for Migration (IOM) called on the Trump administration on Saturday to continue offering asylum to people fleeing war and persecution, saying its resettlement program was vital.
U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday put a four-month hold on allowing refugees into the United States and temporarily barred travelers from Syria and six other Muslim-majority countries, saying the moves would help protect Americans from terrorist attacks.
“The needs of refugees and migrants worldwide have never been greater and the U.S. resettlement program is one of the most important in the world,” the two Geneva-based agencies said in a joint statement.
Trump stopped the entry of travelers from Syria and the six other nations – Iraq, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Somalia and Yemen – for at least 90 days, saying his administration needed time to develop more stringent screening processes for refugees, immigrants and visitors.
IOM and UNHCR said that they remained committed to working with the U.S. administration towards a shared goal of ensuring “safe and secure resettlement and immigration programs”.
“We strongly believe that refugees should receive equal treatment for protection and assistance, and opportunities for resettlement, regardless of their religion, nationality or race,” they said.
The Obama administration admitted 25,000 refugees into the US from October until the end of the year.
