IRC President and CEO David Miliband: “Real-time Review of Vetting Procedures Would Save Lives and Preserve Program.”

New York, NY, March 17, 2017 —  David Miliband, president and CEO of the International Rescue Committee, hailed a Federal Court ruling to temporarily halt a 120-day suspension of refugee arrivals through the U.S. refugee resettlement program and a lowering of admissions from 110,000 in FY17 to 50,000, but said that “weeks of whiplash is causing real pain for people that already have been through hell, and it’s disrupting a proven, solid program. Multiple orders and subsequent court rulings provide hope one week and fear the next,” said Miliband.  

“The United States can and should continue to provide refuge for the most vulnerable while reviewing the U.S. resettlement program, which is regarded as the strongest in the world. We estimate that about 11,000 security-vetted refugees are standing by to resettle. The IRC also is standing by, ready to support their resettlement and integration into U.S. communities. All of this can be done while the program is continuously reviewed.”