WASHINGTON, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Monday it cuts the number of refugees allowed into the United States to 30,000 for the fiscal year 2019 starting on Oct. 1, driving down U.S. refugee admissions to one of its lowest levels in decades.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the number is the maximum the U.S. will admit during the next fiscal year, compared to this year's cap of 45,000, which is reportedly already the lowest annual limit since 1980.
From the beginning of next fiscal year, the Trump administration will restart the Refugee Admissions Program under new rules on the special screening of refugees "whose entry continues to pose potential threats to the security and welfare of the United States."
The new vetting measures will launch a new 90-day review period for the Trump administration to conduct an "in-depth threat assessment" on refugees from 11 countries on a case-by-case basis. The Trump administration so far has not revealed the list of the 11 countries.
The United States welcomed nearly 85,000 refugees in the final year of the Obama administration.