There are 2.4 million refugees worldwide in need of resettlement, according to the United Nations.
The United States Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) is a foreign policy tool to offer hope to persecuted individuals worldwide.
What is the definition of a refugee?
Refugees and asylum seekers both leave their home countries due to fears of persecution. However, the process for seeking protection and the requirements within the US immigration system necessitates designating these people into two categories.
Refugees apply for refugee status before coming to the US, while asylees apply for asylum status while already in the US or at a port of entry.
According to the USRAP, refugees are people who have experienced past persecution or have a well-founded fear of persecution based on their race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion.
How many refugees enter the US annually?
Over 3.6 million refugees have entered the US since 1975 — more than the population of Utah.
After hitting a 40-year annual low of 11,411 during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021, over 60,000 refugees entered the country in 2023, the most since 2016. By June 30, 2024, the annual total had already eclipsed that at 68,000.
Founder Steve Ballmer takes you through US immigration data in his new video series, Just the Facts.
Under the Immigration and Nationality Act, the president sets a ceiling on the total number of refugees that can enter the country each fiscal year — after consulting with Congress.
In 2021, former President Donald Trump set a ceiling of 15,000 on incoming refugees — the lowest level since the inception of the Refugee Program in 1980.
That same year, President Trump included restrictions to not admit any refugees from countries including Somalia, Syria, and Yemen, except in very limited circumstances. He also restricted in-country processing for everyone except people from Cuba, Eurasia or the Baltics, Iraq, Honduras, Guatemala, or El Salvador.
On April 16, 2021, President Joe Biden reversed many of these restrictions and raised the refugee ceiling to 62,500 for the remainder of the fiscal year. He raised the refugee ceiling to 125,000 for fiscal years 2022 through 2024.
According to the available data, the largest refugee arrivals were in 1975, 1980, and 1981 following the influx of Vietnamese and Cambodian refugees after the end of the Vietnam War.[1]
Where do refugees come from?
From FY 2011 to 2023, the US has admitted 624,589 refugees, nearly the population of Vermont. Citizens of Myanmar comprised the largest group of refugee arrivals during this time at 117,557 people (or 18.8% of all refugees). This was followed by refugees from the Democratic Republic of the Congo at 98,121 (15.7%) and Iraq at 93,640 (15.0%).
Refugees from these three countries made up nearly half of total refugees in the US between 2011 and 2023.
Which countries are most refugees coming from recently?
As of June 30, 2024, 15,227 refugees have come to the US from the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2024, making up 22.3% of all year-to-date refugee arrivals. Afghanistan is next with 9,975 (14.6%), followed by Syria with 8,653 (12.7%).
The numbers of refugees arriving from various nations varies greatly due to ongoing domestic circumstances.
The State Department estimates that, today, 110 million people have been forcibly displaced from their homes. According to the department, the Refugee Admissions Program not only fosters stability for those countries abroad undergoing refugee crises, but also aims to reflect the nation’s commitment to human rights.
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[1] Refugee rates may have been higher in previous years, but official data from the Department of Homeland Security only goes back as far as 1980.
