Presidential Determination on Refugee Admissions for Fiscal Year 2015

This determination sets the annual refugee admissions ceiling at 70,000 for Fiscal Year 2015, with regional allocations across five geographic areas plus a 2,000-person unallocated reserve. It also designates specific in-country populations (Cuba, Eurasia/Baltics, Iraq, Honduras/Guatemala/El Salvador, and exceptional cases identified by U.S. Embassies) as eligible for refugee consideration under the Lautenberg Amendment and related authorities.

Federal Register Open PDF 79 FR 69753

Impact dates

Sep 30, 2015
FY 2015 refugee admissions program ends
Oct 1, 2014
FY 2015 refugee admissions ceiling takes effect

Key directives

Set 70,000 refugee admissions ceiling for FY 2015
Allocate admissions across six regional categories including 2,000 unallocated reserve
Authorize Secretary of State to allocate unallocated reserve with congressional committee notification
Authorize Secretary of State to transfer unused regional allocations with congressional committee notification
Designate in-country refugee processing eligibility for Cuba, Eurasia/Baltics, Iraq, Honduras/Guatemala/El Salvador, and exceptional embassy-identified cases
Direct publication in Federal Register

Who is ordered

Secretary of State · Department of State

Timeline

Immediate

70,000 refugee ceiling takes effect for FY 2015 (October 1, 2014)
Regional allocations become operative
In-country refugee processing designations authorized

Near term (90d)

Secretary of State may begin allocating unallocated reserve (2,000) with congressional notification
Inter-regional transfers of unused admissions may occur with notification

Long term

FY 2015 refugee admissions program operates through September 30, 2015

Risks & tensions

Regional allocations may not match emerging crises, requiring politically sensitive transfers
In-country processing designations for Central America (Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador) reflect growing policy attention to unaccompanied minor crisis of 2014
Unallocated reserve of only 2,000 provides limited flexibility for unforeseen displacement events
Congressional notification requirements for transfers create procedural friction but not substantive veto