Washington, May 29: The war on terror launched by the United States after the September 11 attacks is making the world less hospitable to refugees whose ranks swelled by 4.3 million people last year, according to a survey released today. The World Refugee Suvey 2003, published by the US committee for refugees, found that due to the intense counter-terrorism campaign and aggressive screening of foreigners, the United States admitted only 27,000 displaced people last year, less than half the number of those admitted in 2001 and the fewest in more than 30 years.
"The United States' severe cutback in refugee admissions left many refugees at risk and undermined its leadership in refugee protection," said Lavinia Limon, executive director of the committee.
"For the sake of refugees everywhere, it is imperative that the United States restore that leadership."
US wariness has created a ripple effect throughout the world, according to the report.
China has forcibly returned tens of thousands of North Korean refugees, Rwanda pushed back about 7,000 Congolese, Cambodia sent home Vietnamese Montagnards and Guinea shut its doors to people fleeing Ivory Coast and Liberia.
The European Union accepted only an average of 10 per cent of asylum applicants, the committee said. It denied asylum to most Iraqis who fled the country before the ouster of Saddam Hussein by US and British troops in April.
US President George W. Bush declared his war on terrorism after the September 11 attacks on New York and Washington in 2001. Bureau Report