The UN's Global Compact on Refugees under the Biden Administration
Leading up to the fifth anniversary of the adoption of the Global Compact on Refugees (GCR), disparities among various States in their commitment to protecting displaced people have become evident. US President Joe Biden pledged to reinstate a multilateral approach to humanitarian affairs and address deficiencies in US migration policy in line with the priorities set forth in the GCR. However, US government policies and programs reveal incongruencies between foreign policy on humanitarian affairs and domestic policy on refugees and asylum. These inconsistencies stem from constraints inherited from the previous administration under President Donald Trump. Data from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)[1] and US federal agencies[2]show that refugee admissions remain below optimal levels, and there is a protracted backlog in the processing of applications for humanitarian protection. Nevertheless, the Biden administration has taken efforts to broaden avenues for securing humanitarian protection in the US, including parole programs for Afghans and Ukrainians[3] as well as refugee resettlement. These efforts aim to contribute to the priorities outlined in the GCR.