(NewsNation) — Over one million Palestinians have been displaced since Hamas launched a surprise terror attack on Israel earlier this month. Neighboring nations are expressing unwelcome sentiments toward those who have lost their homes.
The United States is committed to admitting 125,000 refugees yearly from around the world. However, with more than three million migrants nationwide, there’s a question of how many people the U.S. can genuinely welcome to the country.
There’s also the question of where over one million displaced Palestinians will find refuge and who should provide support.
Egypt and Jordan are shutting their doors to Palestinian refugees, while several GOP lawmakers oppose their resettlement in the U.S.
The situation has become more complex, as Palestinians aren’t the only group fleeing the Middle East and searching for new homes amid the turmoil.
In Pakistan, there are more than 1.7 million Afghan refugees, and the government has set a firm deadline of Nov. 1 for them to either depart or face expulsion. Pakistani authorities argue these people are contributing to “security problems in the country.”
In a few weeks, millions in the region may be seeking new homes, and it’s difficult to predict how many will arrive in the U.S. There has been an increase in Afghans seeking refuge in the U.S. Over the past two years, the U.S. has admitted 2,500 Afghans, accounting for about 7% of all refugees admitted in the country.
At the border, the U.S. is on track to more than double the encounters with individuals from Afghanistan this month. According to CBP data, there have been 329 encounters so far in October, compared to 227 last month.
NewsNation obtained exclusive information about a former brigadier general in the Afghan army who was apprehended on Monday as part of a family group in the San Diego sector. They were processed and released within 48 hours to an address in California.
Sources confirmed to NewsNation that they were given a notice to appear on their own recognizance. The notice to appear has not been filed yet.
Meanwhile, more families from Mexico are crossing the southern border into the U.S., claiming political asylum as the criminal cartels continue to strengthen. NewsNation watched as several groups crossed into the Tucson sector Thursday.
National security advisors told NewsNation that one of their major concerns is that the vetting process to allow entry is only as effective as the system that vets against letting people into the country.
Former Border Patrol Chief Rodney Scott said it’s an empty hard drive because they lack access to criminal databases in other countries. Therefore, if individuals have not committed a crime in the U.S. or are not on a terrorist watch list, U.S. officials wouldn’t have substantial information about them.