WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — According to the DHS, before refugees can enter the United States they must undergo an intense security screening process which includes several rounds of interviews, deep background checks and crosschecking of biographic and biometric information.
"Over 23,000 Syrian refugee applicants have been referred to us by the UNHCR; only about 2,000 have been admitted," Johnson said in a video outlining how the DHS screens refugees before entering the United States.
Johnson explained that before Syrian refugees enter the United States, they go through an "enhanced review" process that includes several rounds of interviews and identity and background checks from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, departments of State, Defense and Homeland Security, as well as the National Counterterrorism Center.
"In the days since the Paris Attack many have tried to argue that accepting Syrian refugees, who by the way are mostly women, children and families, means that we’d make America a more dangerous place," Johnson noted. "This ignores the reality that anyone who seeks and is approved for refugee status in the United States must first go through a rigorous security screening process."
