Story highlights O'Malley said 5,000 to 8,000 refugees a year is not enough

He said the U.S. not immune to Syrian migrant crisis

Washington (CNN) Martin O'Malley wants the U.S. to welcome at least 65,000 Syrian refugees by the end of 2016.

"I support the call from humanitarian and refugee organizations for the United States to accept at least 65,000 Syrian refugees next year," he said in a statement Friday. "If Germany -- a country with one-fourth our population -- can accept 800,000 refugees this year, certainly we -- the nation of immigrants and refugees -- can do more."

Syrian refugees are flooding Europe following the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Syrians due to ethnic violence in the Middle East. The migrant crisis has engulfed Europe, leading many to ask whether the U.S. would take refugees from the continued fighting in Syria.

O'Malley said the number of refugees the U.S. is scheduled to accept next year is insufficient.

"Americans are a generous and compassionate people. But today our policies are falling short of those values. We must do more to support Syrian refugees -- and we must certainly welcome more than the proposed 5,000 to 8,000 refugees next year," he said.

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