The senior US official in charge of dealing with refugees says the Barack Obama administration is watching the flood of Middle Eastern migrants into Europe with concern and will do what it can to help, but it is unlikely that the United States will admit larger numbers of Syrians anytime soon.

Anne Richard, assistant secretary of state for population, refugees and migration, told Al-Monitor in an interview Sept. 8 that the United States is continuing to process Syrians and other would-be refugees according to a lengthy and stringent process that emphasizes weeding out those who could pose possible security threats to the United States.

“The days of airlifts [of refugees] to Guam and Fort Dix, N.J., ended on Sept. 11, 2001,” Richard said, referring to the increase in US scrutiny of foreigners that followed the attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon by al-Qaeda.

At the same time, Richard said, the United States “as the world leader in response to humanitarian crises [is] of course focused on what is happening in Europe” and is “in constant contact with counterparts over there. There is great interest in the Obama administration to do everything we can to be helpful.”