Obama plans to increase number of refugees admitted to U.S.

Syrian refugee Ahmad al Aboud, and his family members, who will be resettled in the United States, walk to board their plane in Amman, Jordan, Syrian refugee Ahmad al Aboud, and his family members, who will be resettled in the United States, walk to board their plane in Amman, Jordan, April 2016. REUTERS/Muhammad Hamed

(Reuters) – The Obama Administration plans to increase the number of refugees admitted to the United States by 30 percent in fiscal year 2017, according to the Wall Street Journal, which cited an annual refugee report submitted to Congress.

Secretary of State John Kerry presented the new target of 110,000 in the 2017 fiscal year starting Oct. 1, up from 85,000 in 2016, during a closed session to members of the House and Senate judiciary committees on Tuesday, according to the newspaper.

Kerry has said repeatedly over the past year that the United States would admit at least 100,000 refugees in fiscal 2017 and try to admit more if it were able.

(Reporting by Brendan O’Brien in Milwaukee; Editing by Shri Navaratnam)

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