The U.S. is welcoming 100,000 Ukrainian refugees with a focus on reuniting families

The U.S. is opening its doors to 100,000 refugees from Ukraine, President Joe Biden said Thursday, and the priority will be on reuniting families.

“Many Ukrainian refugees will wish to stay in Europe, closer to their homes, but we also will welcome more than 100,000 Ukrainians to the United States with a focus on reuniting families,” Biden said in Brussels, following a meeting with NATO allies.

The U.S. will also prioritize vulnerable populations including women, children, members of the LGBTQ+ community and people with disabilities, ensuring they have access to food, water, shelter and medical care, according to the White House.

How many people have fled Ukraine since Russia invaded?

Since Russia invaded Ukraine one month ago, more than 3.6 million Ukrainians have fled the country, according to U.N. data. Most have fled to neighboring Poland, which has taken in more than 2.1 million Ukrainian refugees, more than any other country.

The U.S. has given more than $123 million to assist the European Union, Poland, Moldova, Romania, Hungary and the Slovak Republic in taking in refugees since the invasion, according to the White House.

How many refugees does the U.S. take in?

The number of refugees allowed into the U.S. hit its lowest point since last year since the Refugee Act of 1980 was passed. Just 11,411 refugees were allowed into the U.S. in fiscal year 2021, despite the Biden administration increasing the refugee cap to 62,500. The administration blamed the low figure on the COVID-19 pandemic and difficulties in reversing Trump-era policies.

Biden increased the cap for fiscal year 2022 to 125,000, but continued pandemic-related issues could make it difficult to reach that figure, according to the Migration Policy Institute, a nonpartisan U.S.-based immigration think tank.

Migration Policy Institute

Governors, including Utah’s Spencer Cox and Colorado’s Jared Polis, have said their states are open to accepting refugees from Ukraine.

During his remarks Thursday, Biden said the U.S. would also commit more than $1 billion in humanitarian assistance to Ukrainians.