US approves 4700 Syrian refugees

US Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson says some 4700 Syrian refugees have been approved for resettlement, while thousands more wait to be cleared.

A woman with her children walks after their arrival of Syrian refugees and migrants to the village of Tabanovce in Macedonia. Source: AFP

The United States has approved 4700 Syrian refugees for resettlement to the country, while an additional 7900 wait on a security review, US Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson says.

Johnson, speaking to a homeland security advisory panel at the Department of Homeland Security, was defending against critics who say the Obama administration is falling behind meeting its goal of bringing in 10,000 Syrian refugees into the country by the end of fiscal year 2016.