Fascinating US Asylum Statistics
- In 2018, there were 63,278 people seeking asylum in the US.
- Most people seeking asylum in 2019 were from the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
- The United States has set a cap of 18,000 refugees for 2020.
- 65% of asylum cases were denied in 2018.
There were 63,278 asylum seekers coming to the US in 2018.
In the US, 63,278 individuals claimed to be seeking asylum at the border during the 2018 fiscal year. However, because the asylum court process can take years, this is not the number of people who were granted asylum or even the number of people who went through it in 2018.
However, this number does represent a 27% increase of people seeking entry, according to previous refugee statistics This matches global trends of increased rates of asylum seekers.
The US has capped the maximum number of refugees in 2020 to 18,000.
How many are granted asylum in the US?
As of September 30, 2019, the US had limited the number of refugees it would accept to 30,000. These indicate the number of asylum seekers in the USA as of 2019.
However, the administration of President Donald Trump has declared intentions to accept no more than 18,000 refugees during the 2020 fiscal year.
Since Congress first introduced the refugee resettlement program in 1980, this number now represents the lowest annual cap for refugees admitted to the US. When compared to asylum statistics from earlier years, this also demonstrates a persistent downward trend.
There was a 58% decrease in the number of refugees admitted in 2018.
How many refugees does the US take in a year?
The State Department’s own statistics show that only 22,491 refugees entered the US in 2018. This amounts to less than the 2019 cap and just more than the 2020 cap.
Furthermore, this number represents a 58% decrease from the 53,716 refugees admitted in 2017 In comparison to the 84,994 refugees accepted in 2017, the final year of the Obama Administration, that number was a further decrease.
The majority of asylum seekers in 2019 came from the Democratic Republic of Congo.
One of the more unexpected statistics about asylum seekers you’re likely to learn about is this one.
As it turned out, the Democratic Republic of the Congo was the country of origin for the greatest number of asylum seekers in the fiscal year 2019, with nearly 13,000 refugees arriving from there. Following DR Congo were Myanmar (4900), Ukraine (4500), Eritrea (1800), and Afghanistan (1200).
However, the countries from which the majority of asylum seekers are coming do not always correspond to the asylum approval rates by country.
65% of asylum cases were denied in 2018.
An important number was released in 2018 for US asylum statistics. Throughout the year, judges decided 42,224 cases, which is 40% more than the number of cases decided in 2017 That’s an impressive asylum seekers success rate of 35%. Remember that not all of these cases are for people who applied for asylum in 2018 because it can take years for a case to be heard in court.
In addition, 2018 marked the sixth consecutive year that the US saw an increase in the rate of asylum denials. However, as the following statistic demonstrates, this proportion is unrelated to the proportion of asylum seekers who appeared in court.
There is a myth that claims that a significant number of court denials result from immigrants missing their court dates.
But it’s clear that’s not the case, as in about 41,000 of the 42,224 cases that asylum judges heard last year, the immigrant appeared in court. Simply put, the data do not indicate that there are enough absent asylum seekers to offset the high denial rate.
Texas receives 48% of all refugee arrivals to the US.
Texas welcomed nearly half of all refugees during the first seven months of 2019, serving as their initial state of residence while they underwent the legal process. Out of all refugees resettled, however, Texas saw only 9% or 1389 individuals, according to the latest asylum seekers USA statistics This means that even if refugees are admitted to the US successfully, the vast majority of them leave even though the Lone Star State initially hosts the most of any state.
Together, Texas, Washington, New York, and California resettled around 25% of all refugees.
Despite not resettling nearly as many refugees as it initially does, Texas is still far ahead of all other states in the union. It accepted 2,500 refugees in 2019, compared to 1900 in Washington, 1900 in New York, and 1800 each in California. According to the most recent data on asylum seekers, these four states ultimately provided new homes for about 25% of all refugees in 2019.
In contrast, less than 10 refugees were each resettled in the District of Columbia, Delaware, and West Virginia in 2019, and there were none at all in Hawaii and Wyoming.
Christians account for 79% of refugees arriving in 201
According to statistics on asylum seekers, the US accepts more Christians as refugees than people of other religions each year. 23,800 Christian refugees were admitted to the country in 2019 according to USCIS asylum statistics. Approximately 4,900 Muslim refugees were accepted at the same time, which is less than one-fourth the amount of Christians.
Although the narrative that the US is consistently receiving more Muslim refugees is challenged by these American asylum statistics, there has been a noticeable shift from previous years.
10. In 2019, the US accepted over 30,000 fewer Muslim refugees than in 201
In 2016, Muslims made up 46% of the year%E2%80%99s admitted refugees, reaching around 38,900 This is a record-high number, with 37,500 more Muslim refugees admitted than Christian ones. As a result, the data for 2019 reveal a drastic decline of over 30,000 in just three years.
1 Nearly half of all asylum seekers in 2018 were under the age of 18.
Frequently held misconceptions exist regarding the characteristics of those who seek asylum in the United States. According to the most recent DHS statistics, 9,722 of the 22,405 asylum seekers who were counted in 2018 were children. That makes up for 43. 4% of all refugee arrivals.
In addition, 17 to 24 year olds were the next most prevalent age group. 2%, then 18 to 24-year-olds at 15. 5%, and 35 to 44-year-olds, at 11. 1%.
1 Roughly half of all refugee arrivals in 2019 were women.
Another falsehood is that most refugees are males in their prime. However, the same DHS stats showed that 49. 5% of refugee arrivals in the US during 2019 were women This percentage has been consistent throughout the past few years, as well, with females making up for 50% of refugees in 2017, and 49 1% of refugees in 2016. So, for the most recent years on record, the gender distribution is roughly equal.
Key Takeaways from the US Asylum Statistics
To fully address the issue of asylum in the US, it is by no means an easy one. The statistics demonstrate that the issue of global asylum seekers is getting worse.
Additionally, they emphasize how the current administration has been bucking that trend. The percentage of asylum cases that are won in court continues to decline as the number of asylum seekers rises.
The most recent statistics should have clarified the situation and dispelled some widespread misconceptions about the relevant facts and figures. The statistics on asylum seekers in the USA actually present a very different picture given the media’s focus on asylum seekers from South America and the Middle East.
Tell us which statistic you found most illuminating in the comments section below.
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Asylum Office Approval Rates: Everything You Need to Know
FAQ
Is it hard to get asylum in USA?
The success rate rose to 76% for the year ended June 2022
What percentage of asylum claims are successful?
Individual Asylum Grants and Refugee Admissions Since 1980Fiscal Year Refugee Arrivals Individual Asylum Grants201684,99420,340201753,71626,568
How many asylum seekers does the US accept?
The percentage of asylum applicants refused at initial decision reached its highest point at 88% in 2004 Since then, the refusal rate has been falling overall and was at 23% in the year to September 2022, its lowest point since 1990