According to a U.S. State Department memo obtained by CNN flights for refugees scheduled to travel to the United States were canceled.
The memo comes on the heels of President Donald Trump’s executive order to suspend refugee admissions, and marks another example of the rapid impact that actions taken in the early days of his administration are already having. The measure will affect thousands of refugees who already had flights scheduled, often obtained after years of waiting.
“All scheduled refugee travel to the United States has been canceled and no new travel reservations will be made. Refugee Support Centers should not request any additional travel at this time,” the memo states, citing the president’s executive order.
Cancellations can be particularly worrying for refugees whose medical exams or security checks, for example, are about to expire.
The memo also states that case processing is suspended, which effectively ends the program.
“Additionally, all refugee case processing and pre-departure activities are suspended. Refugee Support Centers and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) should not transfer refugees to transit centers in anticipation of travel and should cease all pre-departure activities for refugee cases. No further referrals should be made to the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program,” the memo continues.
According to the memo, holders of special immigration visas, including those who worked for the US abroad, are exempt from the measure and can travel to the country. Refugees already in the United States can also continue to receive services.
THE CNN has reached out to the State Department’s Office of Population, Refugees, and Migration for comment.
The executive order signed by Trump on Monday (20) says that the United States has been unable to absorb the flow of immigrants in recent years, in addition to refugees, leading to the suspension of the program “until the additional flow of refugees into the United States align with the country’s interests.”
The suspension would take effect on January 27, according to the decree. The memorandum implies that it comes into force immediately.
The situation at the U.S. southern border is different from the refugee program, which has existed for decades and has an exhaustive screening process to allow refugees to be resettled in the United States. The crackdown on refugees, however, is in line with the administration’s immigration agenda, which seeks to limit entry into the United States on the grounds of public safety and national security.
This content was originally published in Scheduled refugee flights to the US are canceled on the CNN Brasil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
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