U.S. to admit 85,000 in fiscal 2016 and 100,000 in fiscal 2017, says Secretary of State John Kerry.

The U.S. will boost the number of refugees it accepts from around the world to 100,000 annually, up from 70,000 now, as part of an effort to help Europe cope with a migration crisis, Secretary of State John Kerry said. The increase would include at least 10,000 Syrian refugees that the White House has proposed admitting to the U.S. next year, Mr. Kerry said. Beyond that, however, details were scarce. Since 2011, the U.S. has taken in about 1,600 Syrians. Some Republicans say the U.S. should concentrate its efforts on helping Syrians resettle in the region, rather than transport them far from home. Other critics have raised concerns about Islamic State or other militants outwitting the lengthy background checks each applicant undergoes to infiltrate the U.S. posing as refugees. But Mr. Kerry said the U.S. move would be “in keeping with America’s best tradition as a land of second chances and a beacon of hope.” Speaking in Berlin on Sunday alongside his German counterpart, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, he added that Germany’s welcome of hundreds of thousands of migrants this year served as an “example for the world.” Mr. Kerry said that in fiscal year 2016, which starts in October, the U.S. would accept some 85,000 refugees, including the 10,000 Syrians the White House proposed earlier this month. In 2017, the overall number would rise to 100,000, he said. That is likely to include more Syrians, but he didn’t give a specific number.

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