U.S. House to vote to restrict refugees’ entry

REPUBLICANS in the United States (U.S.) House of Representatives are preparing to vote on legislation that would place new restrictions on the resettlement of Syrian and Iraqi refugees in the U.S.

Democrats say that the bill constitutes grandstanding, while Republicans say the public is demanding greater protection from terrorism.

President Barack Obama has said he will veto the legislation.

The bill follows the attacks in Paris that left 129 people dead.

Seven of the perpetrators died in the attacks, and one of them is thought to have been a Syrian who entered Europe via Greece with migrants.

The bill would require the head of the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Director of National Intelligence to sign off on each refugee as being “not a threat to the security of the United States,” following an FBI background check.

The bill reportedly does not contain provisions that would screen refugees based on religion – a contrast to proposals offered by presidential candidates Jeb Bush and Ted Cruz, who have said that preference should be given to Christians.