The Obama administration will meet its goal of admitting 10,000 Syrian refugees this fiscal year a month ahead of schedule and is working with Congress to increase the target by a few thousand in 2018, the White House said on August 29.
The 10,000th Syrian refugee was scheduled to arrive in the United States on August 29 afternoon, national security advisor Susan Rice said in a statement.
The White House had pledged to admit at least 10,000 displaced Syrians during the current fiscal year, which wraps up at the end of September.
"While refugee admissions are only a small part of our broader humanitarian efforts in Syria and the region, the president understood the important message this decision would send, not just to the Syrian people but to the broader international community," Rice said.
