Presidential Determination on Refugee Admissions for Fiscal Year 2017

This determination sets the annual refugee admissions ceiling at 110,000 for Fiscal Year 2017, with specific regional allocations including a 14,000-person unallocated reserve. It also designates certain in-country populations (Cuba, Eurasia/Baltics, Iraq, Honduras/Guatemala/El Salvador, and exceptional embassy-identified cases) as eligible for refugee status consideration under the Lautenberg Amendment and similar authorities.

Federal Register Open PDF 81 FR 70315

Impact dates

Oct 1, 2016
FY 2017 refugee admissions program begins

Key directives

Set FY 2017 refugee admissions ceiling at 110,000
Allocate admissions across six regional categories
Authorize Secretary of State to allocate 14,000 unallocated reserve to regional ceilings after notifying Congressional Judiciary Committees
Authorize Secretary of State to transfer unused regional admissions to other regions after notifying Congressional Judiciary Committees
Designate in-country populations in Cuba, Eurasia/Baltics, Iraq, Honduras/Guatemala/El Salvador as eligible for refugee consideration
Authorize exceptional in-country refugee designation by any U.S. Embassy
Direct publication in Federal Register

Who is ordered

Secretary of State · Department of State

Timeline

Immediate

110,000 refugee admissions ceiling takes effect for FY 2017 (October 1, 2016)
Regional allocations become effective
In-country refugee designations apply for FY 2017

Near term (90d)

Secretary of State may begin allocating unallocated reserve and transferring regional admissions after congressional notification

Long term

FY 2017 refugee program implementation through September 30, 2017

Risks & tensions

110,000 ceiling represented significant increase from prior years and became politically contentious
Subsequent administration reduced this ceiling dramatically, making this determination a focal point of policy reversal
In-country processing designations for Central America were novel and raised implementation questions about capacity and security vetting