Spokesman Josh Earnest on Thursday said US President Barack Obama had asked staff to “scale up” the number of refugee admissions, which are likely to total around 1,800 in the fiscal year ending September 30.
“He has informed his team that he would like them to make preparations to accept at least 10,000 Syrian refugees in the next fiscal year,” said Earnest, AFP reported.
More than 62,000 Americans have signed a petition calling on Obama’s administration to resettle at least 65,000 Syrians by 2016.
Earnest defended the administration’s response, saying the US could not realistically provide sanctuary to the four million Syrians who have fled a brutal civil war.
“We know the scale of this problem, and it’s significant. there are millions of people who have been driven from their homes because of this violence.”
Advocacy groups have called on the Obama administration to take in more refugees and do so more quickly.
“This is not leadership, it is barely a token contribution given the size and scale of the global emergency,” said Human Rights First’s Eleanor Acer.
