The US reiterated commitment to a program that has brought nearly 115,000 Iraqi refugees that have worked for a "US entity" into the US despite a Wall Street Journal report that indicated 38,000 Iraqis are waiting to be interviewed for the program.
"In some cases, screening can be extremely time intensive," said State Department Spokesperson Jen Psaki to reporters Monday. "If we are ever presented with a choice between greater speed and the security of our nation, we will always choose the latter." She indicated that in the 2014 fiscal year the US allowed approximately 20,000 Iraqi refugees to gain access to the US. In June of 2014 the refugee processing staff was relocated to Baghdad due to the security situation of Iraq and its neighboring countries.
"We have determined that the current security situation will permit US government staff to resume refugee interviews in Baghdad, but obviously, that has an impact," Psaki asserted.
There is currently no specific start date but Psaki stressed, "Deputy Secretary Heather Higginbottom works very on this issue, and its something that we certainly are committed to continuing to expedite."