White House plans to admit 110,000 refugees to U.S. in 2017

The United States has vowed to take in 110,000 refugees in 2017 -- 30 percent more than in 2016.

It will mark the highest number of refugees admitted into the U.S. for over 20 years. In 1995, President Bill Clinton pledged to allow in 112,000 refugees.

Secretary of State John Kerry presented the decision to lawmakers on Tuesday.

Of the 110,000 refugees admitted, 40,000 will be from the Near East (including Syria) and South Asia while 35,000 will be from Africa. There are 14,000 slots not yet allocated.

Since Kerry's briefing, the United Nations has said that more countries should take similar measures.

"Refugee & migration challenge is one we can & must tackle together."https://t.co/Xj1cbdgYNQ#UN4RefugeesMigrants pic.twitter.com/keGotUzg2J

— United Nations (@UN) September 14, 2016

On Wednesday, during opening remarks before the UN's general assembly, Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon called on more of the international community to provide refugees with the housing, assistance and integration needed for a better life.

"More countries must re-settle more people who have been forced from their homes. More countries must recognize the benefits of migration," he told members of the UN. "And everyone, everywhere, must stand up against the animosity that so many refugees, migrants and minority communities face."

The Obama Administration has been making strides to allow in more Syrian refugees. In August, it reached its goal of admitting 10,000 Syrian refugees into the U.S. by end of 2016.

In a report released in June, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said the number of people displaced globally is the highest since the aftermath of World War II.

In 2015, there were 65.3 million people displaced "as a result of persecution, conflict, generalized violence, or human rights violations," the report said. Of this number, 21.3 million were considered refugees.

But many U.S. lawmakers have resisted or denounced the President's decision to let in more refugees. The House Judiciary Committee tweeted its disapproval of the new 110,000 cap within hours of Kerry's briefing.

After meeting w/ @JohnKerry & announcement 110,000 new refugees in 2017, clear Obama refuses to listen to concerns https://t.co/lGyWe2JXn7

— House Judiciary Cmte (@HouseJudiciary) September 13, 2016

Immigration and refugee assistance have been hot-button issues in the ongoing presidential election. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has called for allowing in 65,000 Syrian refugees. Meanwhile, a Donald Trump presidency would put a complete stop to the U.S. Syrian refugee resettlement program, vice-presidential candidate Mike Pence said on NBC News's Meet the Pressearlier this month.

After the Paris attacks last year that left 137 people dead, a number of Republican governors said their states would refuse the entry of any Syrian refugees completely.

BREAKING: Texas will not accept any Syrian refugees & I demand the U.S. act similarly. Security comes first.https://t.co/uE34eluXYd

— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) November 16, 2015

I will not stand complicit to a policy that places the citizens of Alabama in harm’s way. We refuse Syrian refugees. https://t.co/HTpflJUiPc

— Gov. Robert Bentley (@GovernorBentley) November 16, 2015

In Georgia, Governor Nathan Deal wrote a letter to President Obama asking that the screening process for Syrian refugees be reevaluated and supported by Congress.

Deal said that the until such a process takes places, he would direct "all state agencies to suspend participation in the resettlement of Syrian refugees within Georgia."

However, states are not able to block the entry of refugees and migrants, as the decision is in the hands of the federal government.

"Once [refugees have] been given the right to stay in the U.S., states cannot impose legal barriers to entry," Michael Doyle, a professor at Columbia Law School who has been studying the refugee crisis, told Mashable.

Doyle said states could refuse refugees state-funded services in education, health and other social sectors but they cannot block their arrival completely.

While he applauded the increase to 110,000, Doyle said the U.S. still has to do more to offset the strain elsewhere, especially in developing countries where most refugees and migrants are living.

"It's a drop in the bucket," Doyle said. "This is a good step, but it's nowhere near sufficient to assist those countries providing asylum to people who've fled their countries in dire circumstances."