Trump’s refugee suspension hits Iraq: 10th most affected country

Shafaq News/ Iraq ranked tenth among the countries most affected by US President Donald Trump's suspension of refugee admissions, based on data on individuals accepted in 2023.

According to a US Department of State memo obtained by CNN, “All previously scheduled travel of refugees to the United States is being cancelled, and no new travel bookings will be made. RSCs [Refugee Support Centers] should not request travel for any additional refugee cases at this time.”

Travel bookings for approximately 10,000 refugees were canceled, a source familiar with the data told CNN. “A breakdown by country was not immediately available, but refugees generally come from a range of countries, including Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Venezuela, Syria and Burma,” he affirmed.

In 2023, the top countries of origin for refugees accepted were the Democratic Republic of Congo (30%), Syria (18%), Afghanistan (11%), and Burma (10%), accounting for 69% of the total refugees accepted that year, according to the latest statistics from the US Department of Homeland Security.

In addition to Syria, the top 10 list also included other Arab countries among those whose nationals were accepted as refugees in the US in 2023. These included Sudan, with 1,630 refugees (2.7% of the total), followed by Somalia and Iraq, with 1,440 (2.3%) and 1,220 (2.0%), respectively.