Trump’s new suspension of refugees leaves some at risk of dying, doctors say
Elections matter. Kevin Seiff for the The Washington Post reports on the U.S. government’s slow response to refugees with dire health issues.
The United States has been a global leader in resettling refugees since the aftermath of World War II, when it accepted more than a half-million displaced Europeans. But the number admitted in 2018 could be the lowest in decades, advocacy groups say.
The White House says the new pause is necessary to improve vetting procedures for people from high-risk countries such as Somalia, where an Islamist extremist group, al-Shabab, is battling the government. U.S. authorities say they will consider exceptions on a case-by-case basis. People who work at one refugee camp of 250,000 refugees say, however, that they have seen none approved since late October.
KJ