This archive report was first published on 2 November 2019.
Published on November 2, 2019, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services continues to conduct interviews with refugee applicants in the Middle East, including Iraq, through 'circuit rides.'
However, the number of high-priority Iraqi refugees admitted to the U.S. has decreased due to tougher background checks ordered by President Trump in 2018. According to a State Department spokeswoman, 'The security checks take time, but they are critical.'
Since 2008, the U.S. has accepted 47,331 Iraqi refugees under the Direct Access Program, prioritizing those who worked with the American government during the Iraq war. During the first three years of the Trump administration, 3,249 Iraqi refugees were accepted.
The Pentagon initially requested 6,000 slots for high-priority Iraqi refugees in 2020, but the Trump administration lowered the number due to security concerns. This decision has led to the deportation of Iraqi nationals, including Jimmy Aldaoud, who was born in Greece to Iraqi parents and had lived in the U.S. since infancy.
Aldaoud's deportation and subsequent death in Baghdad sparked outrage among lawmakers and human rights activists. The current unrest in Iraq, with violent protests demanding public services and challenging government corruption, has further complicated the refugee process.
