US House votes to restrict Iraqi and Syrian refugees entry

The US House of Representatives has passed a bill that tightens restrictions on the resettlement of Syrian and Iraqi refugees, amid security concerns.

Dozens of Democrats joined Republicans as the House passed the measure 289-137, in a rebuke to the White House.

President Barack Obama has said he will veto the legislation.

The bill follows the attacks in Paris that left 129 people dead, claiming to the be the work of Islamic State.

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.

It still needs to pass the Senate before hitting Mr Obama’s desk.

Syrian refugees in the US explained in graphics

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.

Calling the Paris attacks “a game changer”, Rep Brad Ashford, a Democrat from Nebraska, said: “I cannot sit back and ignore the concerns of my constituents and the American public.”

House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy said he supported the bill because “it is against the values of our nation and the values of a free society to give terrorists the opening they are looking for”.

Rep Michael McCaul, who co-wrote the bill, said: “The status quo is not acceptable”.

Read more: US House votes to restrict Iraqi and Syrian refugees entry