US to admit 10 000 Syrian refugees
President Barack Obama has asked for at least 10 000 Syrian refugees to be admitted to the United States next year, amid criticism his government has done too little to help.
Spokesman Josh Earnest said yesterday Obama had asked staff to "scale up" the number of refugee admissions, which are likely to total around 1800 in the fiscal year ending September 30.
Around the world, voters shocked by images of drowning refugees have put pressure on their governments to act.
More than 62 000 Americans have signed a petition calling on Obama's administration to resettle at least 65 000 Syrians by 2016.
US humanitarian funding for the refugee crisis has totaled around $4 billion.
'A threat we have to worry about'
The United States currently accepts around 70 000 refugees a year from all conflicts around the world and has been particularly slow to accept Syrians.
Refugees from the country must undergo strict security checks designed to weed out extremists, even after being registered by the United Nations.
"It takes between 18 to 24 months between when a refugee is referred to us and when they -- if approved, when they end up arriving in the United States." a senior State Department official said Wednesday.
Each refugee and their family is interviewed by the Department of Homeland Security and names are checked against government databases.
(File photo: AFP)