Donald Trump has cut refugee admissions to America to a record low

FOR DECADES, America resettled more refugees than the rest of the world put together. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), in 2016 the United States resettled 96,900 people fleeing persecution, war or other violence; other countries admitted 92,400. But under President Donald Trump, America has become far less welcoming. Last year it took in only 22,900 refugees, 5,200 fewer than neighbouring Canada, which has a population only one-tenth as big.

Mr Trump wants to cut the numbers further still. On November 2nd he approved a plan to reduce the number of refugees let into America to 18,000 for the year to September 30th 2020—the lowest since the country’s current refugee programme was created in 1980. This is the third time Mr Trump has lowered the cap. In September 2017 he reduced the limit set by Barack Obama, his predecessor, from 110,000 to 45,000. A year later he cut the figure to 30,000.