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One-Minute World News
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United States: 485,000 refugees
Despite tightening its asylum laws after the 11 September attacks, the US still accounts for half of all the resettlement of refugees worldwide.
An application for asylum must be made within one year of arrival in the US. Asylum seekers are not allowed to work while it is processed. Once granted asylum they are expected to look for a job, and can apply for permanent resident status after one year.
In March 2003, the US announced that asylum seekers from Iraq, and 33 other countries where it believes al-Qaeda and other militant groups have operated, will be kept in custody throughout the processing period.
