Only a tiny number of the more than 2 million refugees fleeing Syria's civil war can meet the requirements to be resettled in the United States, frustrating international relief officials who say the numbers needing help could nearly double in the coming year.
The Obama administration allowed only 90 Syrian refugees to make permanent homes in the United States from the start of the Syrian civil war through September. About 50 made the journey from camps outside Syria to live in the United States over the past year, including 20 admitted since Oct. 1.
| If this is because we're screening them carefully to ensure that no new fifth column is being introduced into our country, then no apology is required. |
The trickle reflects the difficulty of resettling people during wartime, as well as a lack of political pressure on the United States to do more.
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