Percent of Muslim Refugees Admitted to the U.S. Drops Sharply
- By C Barnett --
- 07 May 2018 --
Only 17% of refugees who entered the U.S. in 2018 have been Muslim.
Compared to past years, the 2018 fiscal year witnessed a massive reduction in Muslim refugees gaining entry into the United States.[/tweetit] In contrast, the number of Christian refugees making America their home has tripled to what they were before.
Percent of Muslim Refugees Admitted to the U.S. Drops Sharply[/tweetthis]
As per data extracted from the State Department by Pew Research Center, only 17 percent or 1,800 of a total of 10,500 refugees who were successful in gaining U.S. residency were Muslims. Christians constituted 63 percent or 6,700 individuals.
The data clearly shows the Trump administration has a lot to do with the shrinking of refugees. To compare, in 2017, Muslims constituted 43 percent of the 39,100 refugees admitted into the U.S., and Christians made up 47 percent. These numbers were valid for the whole of fiscal 2017.
Number of Muslim refugees admitted to US
First 6 months of fiscal 2018: ~1,800
First 6 months of fiscal 2017: ~18,500https://t.co/SP4uU7vavF pic.twitter.com/wwL9MswShU— John Gramlich (@johngramlich) May 3, 2018
The fiscal year 2016 saw the maximum number of Muslim refugees streaming into the United States. This happened due to Syrian unrest, a result of the civil war. Muslims exceeded Christians in 2016. The fiscal 2002 year was the lowest to take in Muslim refugees after restrictions put on refugee arrivals post 9/11.
Refugee numbers in the fiscal year 2018 are anticipated to fall below 2017 as the Trump administration capped the number of refugee admissions to a maximum of 45,000 in 2018. This is the lowest number since 1980, when this refugee program was created by Congress. The program was crafted to shelter those fleeing persecution in their respective home countries. Refugees were admitted at a slower pace during the fiscal year 2018 as the Trump administration limited admissions for multiple months to make a review. This review resulted in stricter security screening measures. Readmission of refugees restarted from the latter part of January 2018.
The immigration policy instituted by Trump, including the travel ban which had affected citizens of seven Muslim majority nations, have probably influenced refugee demographics who wish to gain admission into the United States. An analysis by Pew Research Center of data extracted from United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, reveals the American Muslim refugee admissions are in contrast with worldwide refugee trends. Individuals and families who wish to seek to gain entry to America under the refugee program are processed overseas, asked a series of questions including religious affiliation. Only after due approval can they fly to the United States for resettlement. It is to be noted refugees are different from asylum seekers.