Refugees Daily - Internal Global Press Review

Republicans in Congress have reacted to the Orlando, Fla., tragedy with a meanspirited and illogical proposal to ban all refugees to the United States indefinitely.

The impulse to slam the door shut on some of the world's most vulnerable people is not new. In recent years, congressional Republicans have tried to limit the numbers of refugees coming into the country from conflict zones like Syria. Meanwhile, officials in states such as Indiana and Texas have tried to bar resettlement of Syrian refugees, although, so far, none have succeeded.

The latest legislative proposal, by Representative Brian Babin, Republican of Texas, would place ''an immediate moratorium on all refugee resettlement programs.'' In a letter to other members of Congress, he said that in light of the attacks in Paris, San Bernardino and Orlando, ''it is imperative that we do everything in our power to keep Americans safe and defend our national security.''

Even without a refugee ban, the United States has allowed in a piteously small number of the more than four million refugees who have fled Syria since the war there began in 2011. Only 3,127 Syrian refugees have been settled here in the past five years. President Obama promised to take an additional 10,000 Syrians this year but so far only 1,300 have been admitted.

Refugees are already screened more thoroughly than other foreign travelers to the United States. The process includes background checks by the State Department, the Department of Homeland Security and the F.B.I., as well as defense and intelligence services. This can take as long as 24 months for Syrians.

Like other newcomers, those who arrive as refugees have been a source of dynamism and growth in the United States. With the world facing the worst refugee crisis since World War II, barring refugees would inflict incalculable damage on America's reputation as a nation that offers hope and shelter to the displaced and would do nothing to advance the fight against terrorism.