By Xinhua
Washington : The US is to increase admissions of refugees from the Middle East, South and East Asia while restricting refugee influx from other regions, local media reported.
Up to 80,000 refugees from across the world can be admitted to the US in the next year, according to a memo from US President George W. Bush to the secretary of state.
A total of 70,000 international refugees were admitted last year.
The president has laid out maximum numbers of refugees to be accepted from each region, including 28,000 from the Middle East and South Asia, up from 5,500 and 20,000 from East Asia, up from 11,000, reports said Tuesday.
Meanwhile, the number of refugees that can be admitted from other regions was reduced, including 16,000 from Africa, down from 22,000, 3,000 from Europe and Central Asia, down from 6,500, and 3,000 from Latin America and the Caribbean, down from 5,000.