Washington, Sep 18 (IANS): US President Donald Trump's administration announced that it has cut the number of refugees allowed into the country to 30,000 for the fiscal year 2019 starting from October 1, driving down American refugee admissions to one of its lowest levels.

On Monday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the number was the maximum the US will admit during the next fiscal year, compared to this year's cap of 45,000, which is reportedly already the lowest annual limit since 1980, reports Xinhua news agency.

From the beginning of next fiscal year, the administration will restart the Refugee Admissions Programme under new rules on the special screening of refugees "whose entry continues to pose potential threats to the security and welfare of the US".

The new vetting measures will launch a new 90-day review period to conduct an "in-depth threat assessment" on refugees from 11 countries on a case-by-case basis.

The Trump administration so far has not revealed the list of the 11 countries.

The US welcomed nearly 85,000 refugees in 2016.