Where refugees in Michigan are arriving from
During the past five decades, the U.S. has resettled over 3 million refugees, making it one of the leading countries for finding new homes for people fleeing violence, persecution, and war.
In 2021, then-President Donald Trump lowered the annual cap of refugees that could be admitted into the country to 15,000. Even as the Biden administration has raised the ceiling to 125,000, the annual number of refugees arriving in the U.S. didn't immediately bounce back to pre-Trump administration levels. The numbers are increasing though, with over 25,000 refugees arriving in the U.S. in the 2022 fiscal year, twice the 2021 total.
Refugee arrivals during the 2023 fiscal year dramatically outpaced the prior two years, reaching over 60,000 from October 2022 to September 2023.
In June 2024, the greatest number of refugees admitted by the U.S. came from Venezuela, Afghanistan, and Congo. Each nation faces a unique set of circumstances that can make their citizens unsafe if they stay in their home country.
In Venezuela, over 7.5 million people have left the country due to extreme inflation, violence, food and medicine scarcity, and other factors. Most have resettled in Latin American and Caribbean countries. Afghan refugees have been fleeing to neighboring countries for decades, especially to Pakistan and Iran, which combined host over 8 million Afghans. For the last three decades, Congo, also called the Democratic Republic of Congo, has been struggling with a series of civil wars and internal battles that have left millions of people displaced, both internally and externally, with many people fleeing to neighboring countries.
Stacker referenced data from the Refugee Processing Center to compile statistics on the number of refugees and their countries of origin resettled in Michigan in June 2024. Countries with only one refugee since October 2023 are not included.
June refugee statistics
Countries where refugees arrived from in June
To Michigan:
#1. Syria: 45
#2. Afghanistan: 41
#3. Iraq: 35
#4. Venezuela: 19
#5. Congo: 12
#6. Somalia: 10
#7. Myanmar: 8
#8. Honduras: 3
#8. Sudan: 3
#10. Eritrea: 2
#10. Guatemala: 2
#10. Haiti: 2
#13. Nicaragua: 1
To the U.S. as a whole:
#1. Venezuela: 1,163
#2. Afghanistan: 1,093
#3. Congo: 615
#4. Syria: 422
#5. Somalia: 403
States that accepted the most refugees in June:
#1. Texas: 619
#2. California: 370
#3. New York: 355
#4. Florida: 339
#5. Arizona: 243
Read on to see the countries that Michigan has accepted the most refugees from since the start of the fiscal year in October 2023.
#1. Syria
Refugees that arrived from Syria since October 2023
To Michigan: 806
To the U.S. as a whole: 8,653
Top states receiving refugees from Syria
#1. New York: 857
#2. Michigan: 806
#3. Pennsylvania: 640
#4. Texas: 510
#5. California: 479
#2. Congo
Refugees that arrived from Congo since October 2023
To Michigan: 594
To the U.S. as a whole: 15,226
Top states receiving refugees from Congo
#1. Texas: 1,392
#2. Kentucky: 1,286
#3. Arizona: 1,050
#4. New York: 1,002
#5. Ohio: 966
#3. Afghanistan
Refugees that arrived from Afghanistan since October 2023
To Michigan: 318
To the U.S. as a whole: 9,974
Top states receiving refugees from Afghanistan
#1. California: 2,006
#2. Texas: 1,012
#3. Virginia: 854
#4. Washington: 605
#5. New York: 462
#4. Iraq
Refugees that arrived from Iraq since October 2023
To Michigan: 172
To the U.S. as a whole: 1,300
Top states receiving refugees from Iraq
#1. California: 209
#2. Michigan: 172
#3. Texas: 106
#4. Nebraska: 71
#5. Arizona: 67
#5. Venezuela
Refugees that arrived from Venezuela since October 2023
To Michigan: 115
To the U.S. as a whole: 5,616
Top states receiving refugees from Venezuela
#1. Florida: 933
#2. Texas: 802
#3. Illinois: 352
#4. Georgia: 253
#5. North Carolina: 204
#6. Myanmar
Refugees that arrived from Myanmar since October 2023
To Michigan: 60
To the U.S. as a whole: 5,034
Top states receiving refugees from Myanmar
#1. Texas: 581
#2. Illinois: 545
#3. New York: 492
#4. Wisconsin: 369
#5. Georgia: 362
#7. Central African Republic
Refugees that arrived from Central African Republic since October 2023
To Michigan: 55
To the U.S. as a whole: 725
Top states receiving refugees from Central African Republic
#1. Missouri: 75
#2. Texas: 72
#3. Michigan: 55
#4. Georgia: 43
#5. North Carolina: 40
#8. Somalia
Refugees that arrived from Somalia since October 2023
To Michigan: 38
To the U.S. as a whole: 3,185
Top states receiving refugees from Somalia
#1. Minnesota: 959
#2. Ohio: 219
#3. New York: 208
#4. Arizona: 171
#5. Missouri: 150
#9. Eritrea
Refugees that arrived from Eritrea since October 2023
To Michigan: 29
To the U.S. as a whole: 1,613
Top states receiving refugees from Eritrea
#1. Washington: 162
#1. Texas: 162
#3. North Carolina: 104
#4. Iowa: 98
#5. Ohio: 97
#10. Guatemala
Refugees that arrived from Guatemala since October 2023
To Michigan: 28
To the U.S. as a whole: 3,253
Top states receiving refugees from Guatemala
#1. California: 425
#2. Texas: 340
#3. Florida: 204
#4. North Carolina: 199
#5. Georgia: 136
#11. Burundi
Refugees that arrived from Burundi since October 2023
To Michigan: 27
To the U.S. as a whole: 476
Top states receiving refugees from Burundi
#1. Texas: 54
#2. Arizona: 49
#3. New York: 41
#4. Pennsylvania: 37
#5. Iowa: 30
#12. Sudan
Refugees that arrived from Sudan since October 2023
To Michigan: 25
To the U.S. as a whole: 1,544
Top states receiving refugees from Sudan
#1. New York: 134
#2. Ohio: 118
#3. Texas: 112
#4. Missouri: 100
#5. Pennsylvania: 95
#13. Yemen
Refugees that arrived from Yemen since October 2023
To Michigan: 21
To the U.S. as a whole: 103
Top states receiving refugees from Yemen
#1. Michigan: 21
#2. Georgia: 13
#2. New York: 13
#4. Montana: 12
#5. Arizona: 8
#14. Ukraine
Refugees that arrived from Ukraine since October 2023
To Michigan: 19
To the U.S. as a whole: 1,263
Top states receiving refugees from Ukraine
#1. Washington: 483
#2. California: 201
#3. New York: 75
#4. Florida: 66
#5. Ohio: 54
#15. Honduras
Refugees that arrived from Honduras since October 2023
To Michigan: 17
To the U.S. as a whole: 727
Top states receiving refugees from Honduras
#1. Texas: 118
#2. Florida: 87
#3. New York: 55
#4. California: 42
#4. Georgia: 42
#16. Mali
Refugees that arrived from Mali since October 2023
To Michigan: 13
To the U.S. as a whole: 176
Top states receiving refugees from Mali
#1. Pennsylvania: 27
#2. New York: 24
#3. South Carolina: 23
#4. Connecticut: 13
#4. Michigan: 13
#16. Republic of South Sudan
Refugees that arrived from Republic of South Sudan since October 2023
To Michigan: 13
To the U.S. as a whole: 1,045
Top states receiving refugees from Republic of South Sudan
#1. Texas: 101
#2. Nebraska: 95
#3. New York: 85
#4. Colorado: 66
#4. Arizona: 66
#18. Nicaragua
Refugees that arrived from Nicaragua since October 2023
To Michigan: 12
To the U.S. as a whole: 1,921
Top states receiving refugees from Nicaragua
#1. Florida: 245
#2. Texas: 147
#3. California: 143
#4. Minnesota: 107
#5. Arizona: 88
#19. Pakistan
Refugees that arrived from Pakistan since October 2023
To Michigan: 7
To the U.S. as a whole: 704
Top states receiving refugees from Pakistan
#1. Pennsylvania: 101
#2. Texas: 73
#3. Virginia: 62
#4. New York: 49
#5. North Carolina: 46
#20. Colombia
Refugees that arrived from Colombia since October 2023
To Michigan: 6
To the U.S. as a whole: 967
Top states receiving refugees from Colombia
#1. Florida: 124
#2. North Carolina: 91
#3. Texas: 81
#4. New York: 64
#5. Washington: 63
#20. Iran
Refugees that arrived from Iran since October 2023
To Michigan: 6
To the U.S. as a whole: 337
Top states receiving refugees from Iran
#1. California: 207
#2. Texas: 22
#3. Washington: 13
#3. Georgia: 13
#5. Illinois: 10
#20. Cameroon
Refugees that arrived from Cameroon since October 2023
To Michigan: 6
To the U.S. as a whole: 102
Top states receiving refugees from Cameroon
#1. Texas: 13
#1. Pennsylvania: 13
#3. Nevada: 8
#4. Maryland: 7
#4. California: 7
#23. Guinea
Refugees that arrived from Guinea since October 2023
To Michigan: 5
To the U.S. as a whole: 75
Top states receiving refugees from Guinea
#1. Colorado: 15
#2. Georgia: 9
#3. North Carolina: 7
#4. Arizona: 5
#4. Michigan: 5
#23. Rwanda
Refugees that arrived from Rwanda since October 2023
To Michigan: 5
To the U.S. as a whole: 201
Top states receiving refugees from Rwanda
#1. Texas: 49
#2. South Carolina: 12
#2. Kentucky: 12
#2. Arizona: 12
#5. North Carolina: 11
#25. Nigeria
Refugees that arrived from Nigeria since October 2023
To Michigan: 4
To the U.S. as a whole: 106
Top states receiving refugees from Nigeria
#1. Illinois: 16
#2. Missouri: 14
#3. Arizona: 13
#3. North Carolina: 13
#5. Kansas: 9
#25. Ethiopia
Refugees that arrived from Ethiopia since October 2023
To Michigan: 4
To the U.S. as a whole: 339
Top states receiving refugees from Ethiopia
#1. Minnesota: 98
#2. Texas: 31
#3. Washington: 28
#4. Ohio: 27
#5. Georgia: 25
#25. El Salvador
Refugees that arrived from El Salvador since October 2023
To Michigan: 4
To the U.S. as a whole: 987
Top states receiving refugees from El Salvador
#1. Texas: 134
#2. California: 114
#3. Maryland: 107
#4. Virginia: 74
#5. North Carolina: 70
#25. Uganda
Refugees that arrived from Uganda since October 2023
To Michigan: 4
To the U.S. as a whole: 35
Top states receiving refugees from Uganda
#1. Massachusetts: 6
#1. Missouri: 6
#3. Ohio: 5
#4. Michigan: 4
#4. Washington: 4
#29. Ivory Coast
Refugees that arrived from Ivory Coast since October 2023
To Michigan: 3
To the U.S. as a whole: 63
Top states receiving refugees from Ivory Coast
#1. Pennsylvania: 10
#2. Minnesota: 8
#3. Massachusetts: 7
#4. Arkansas: 6
#5. Florida: 4
#29. Cuba
Refugees that arrived from Cuba since October 2023
To Michigan: 3
To the U.S. as a whole: 130
Top states receiving refugees from Cuba
#1. Florida: 51
#2. Texas: 17
#3. Tennessee: 10
#4. New York: 9
#5. Washington: 6
#29. The Gambia
Refugees that arrived from The Gambia since October 2023
To Michigan: 3
To the U.S. as a whole: 11
Top states receiving refugees from The Gambia
#1. Texas: 4
#2. Michigan: 3
#3. Georgia: 2
#3. Illinois: 2
#32. Haiti
Refugees that arrived from Haiti since October 2023
To Michigan: 2
To the U.S. as a whole: 187
Top states receiving refugees from Haiti
#1. Pennsylvania: 29
#2. Florida: 26
#3. Texas: 14
#3. Georgia: 14
#5. Missouri: 12
#32. Jamaica
Refugees that arrived from Jamaica since October 2023
To Michigan: 2
To the U.S. as a whole: 10
Top states receiving refugees from Jamaica
#1. California: 2
#1. Colorado: 2
#1. Michigan: 2
#1. North Carolina: 2
#1. Ohio: 2
This story features data reporting and writing by Emma Rubin and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 46 states.
