Where refugees in New York 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 2022, twice the 2021 total.
Refugee arrivals in 2023 are on track to outpace the two previous years, with over 44,000 refugees arriving since January.
In August 2023, the greatest number of refugees admitted by the U.S. came from Syria, Congo, and Afghanistan. Each nation faces a unique set of circumstances that can make their citizens unsafe if they stay in their home country.
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. Syria has seen more than 5 million refugees flee to neighboring nations since 2011 while a longstanding civil war rages, with an additional 6.8 million people forced from their homes and seeking refuge elsewhere in the country. Afghan refugees have been fleeing to neighboring countries for decades, especially to Pakistan and Iran, which combined host over 8 million Afghans.
Stacker referenced data from The Refugee Processing Center to compile statistics on the number of refugees and their countries of origin resettled in New York in August 2023.
August refugee statistics
Countries where refugees arrived from in August
To New York:
#1. Syria: 99
#2. Afghanistan: 61
#2. Burma: 61
#4. Congo: 30
#5. El Salvador: 20
#6. Guatemala: 16
#7. Ethiopia: 15
#8. Venezuela: 14
#9. Republic of South Sudan: 13
#10. Colombia: 12
#11. Sudan: 9
#12. Ukraine: 8
#13. Burundi: 7
#14. Pakistan: 6
#15. Sri Lanka: 3
#16. Eritrea: 2
#16. Palestine: 2
#16. Somalia: 2
#19. Cuba: 1
#19. Honduras: 1
#19. Iraq: 1
#19. Indonesia: 1
To the U.S. as a whole:
#1. Syria: 1,429
#2. Congo: 1,085
#3. Afghanistan: 710
#4. Burma: 479
#5. Guatemala: 292
States that accepted the most refugees in August:
#1. California: 562
#2. Texas: 422
#3. New York: 384
#4. Illinois: 283
#5. North Carolina: 274
Read on to see the countries that New York has accepted the most refugees from since October 2022.
#1. Congo
Refugees that arrived from Congo since October 2022
To New York: 821
To the U.S. as a whole: 15,675
Top states receiving refugees from Congo
#1. Texas: 1,551
#2. Kentucky: 1,542
#3. Ohio: 1,173
#4. Arizona: 1,021
#5. New York: 821
#2. Syria
Refugees that arrived from Syria since October 2022
To New York: 645
To the U.S. as a whole: 8,238
Top states receiving refugees from Syria
#1. Michigan: 810
#2. New York: 645
#3. Texas: 594
#4. Pennsylvania: 557
#5. California: 541
#3. Burma
Refugees that arrived from Burma since October 2022
To New York: 523
To the U.S. as a whole: 5,717
Top states receiving refugees from Burma
#1. Wisconsin: 637
#2. Texas: 598
#3. Indiana: 580
#4. New York: 523
#5. Illinois: 484
#4. Afghanistan
Refugees that arrived from Afghanistan since October 2022
To New York: 364
To the U.S. as a whole: 5,725
Top states receiving refugees from Afghanistan
#1. California: 1,105
#2. Texas: 623
#3. Virginia: 614
#4. New York: 364
#5. Washington: 341
#5. Colombia
Refugees that arrived from Colombia since October 2022
To New York: 126
To the U.S. as a whole: 1,085
Top states receiving refugees from Colombia
#1. New York: 126
#2. Florida: 119
#3. North Carolina: 108
#4. New Jersey: 85
#5. Pennsylvania: 75
#6. Ukraine
Refugees that arrived from Ukraine since October 2022
To New York: 95
To the U.S. as a whole: 1,303
Top states receiving refugees from Ukraine
#1. Washington: 412
#2. California: 241
#3. New York: 95
#4. Ohio: 72
#5. Pennsylvania: 61
#7. Guatemala
Refugees that arrived from Guatemala since October 2022
To New York: 87
To the U.S. as a whole: 1,563
Top states receiving refugees from Guatemala
#1. California: 219
#2. Florida: 139
#3. Pennsylvania: 109
#4. North Carolina: 97
#5. New York: 87
#8. Sudan
Refugees that arrived from Sudan since October 2022
To New York: 85
To the U.S. as a whole: 1,505
Top states receiving refugees from Sudan
#1. Ohio: 116
#2. Illinois: 99
#3. Georgia: 96
#4. New York: 85
#5. Nebraska: 79
#9. El Salvador
Refugees that arrived from El Salvador since October 2022
To New York: 82
To the U.S. as a whole: 957
Top states receiving refugees from El Salvador
#1. California: 96
#2. Texas: 95
#3. North Carolina: 87
#4. New York: 82
#5. Maryland: 81
#10. Iraq
Refugees that arrived from Iraq since October 2022
To New York: 53
To the U.S. as a whole: 1,061
Top states receiving refugees from Iraq
#1. Michigan: 146
#2. California: 142
#3. Texas: 126
#4. Washington: 65
#5. Illinois: 63
#11. Republic of South Sudan
Refugees that arrived from Republic of South Sudan since October 2022
To New York: 49
To the U.S. as a whole: 455
Top states receiving refugees from Republic of South Sudan
#1. New York: 49
#2. North Carolina: 32
#3. Maryland: 30
#4. Minnesota: 28
#4. Washington: 28
#12. Eritrea
Refugees that arrived from Eritrea since October 2022
To New York: 46
To the U.S. as a whole: 867
Top states receiving refugees from Eritrea
#1. Ohio: 81
#2. Washington: 73
#3. Texas: 65
#4. Colorado: 48
#5. New York: 46
#13. Somalia
Refugees that arrived from Somalia since October 2022
To New York: 44
To the U.S. as a whole: 1,034
Top states receiving refugees from Somalia
#1. Minnesota: 330
#2. Ohio: 88
#3. Arizona: 58
#4. Washington: 51
#5. New York: 44
#14. Pakistan
Refugees that arrived from Pakistan since October 2022
To New York: 43
To the U.S. as a whole: 391
Top states receiving refugees from Pakistan
#1. Pennsylvania: 56
#2. New York: 43
#3. Virginia: 40
#4. California: 38
#5. Georgia: 35
#15. Venezuela
Refugees that arrived from Venezuela since October 2022
To New York: 32
To the U.S. as a whole: 1,129
Top states receiving refugees from Venezuela
#1. Florida: 236
#2. Texas: 131
#3. Pennsylvania: 62
#4. North Carolina: 53
#5. Colorado: 51
#16. Honduras
Refugees that arrived from Honduras since October 2022
To New York: 30
To the U.S. as a whole: 547
Top states receiving refugees from Honduras
#1. Florida: 72
#2. Texas: 71
#3. North Carolina: 42
#4. Maryland: 31
#4. Massachusetts: 31
#17. Kyrgyzstan
Refugees that arrived from Kyrgyzstan since October 2022
To New York: 23
To the U.S. as a whole: 141
Top states receiving refugees from Kyrgyzstan
#1. Pennsylvania: 39
#2. Washington: 36
#3. New York: 23
#4. Florida: 11
#5. Massachusetts: 8
#18. Yemen
Refugees that arrived from Yemen since October 2022
To New York: 21
To the U.S. as a whole: 158
Top states receiving refugees from Yemen
#1. Michigan: 21
#1. New York: 21
#3. Illinois: 17
#4. Virginia: 15
#4. North Carolina: 15
#19. Ethiopia
Refugees that arrived from Ethiopia since October 2022
To New York: 19
To the U.S. as a whole: 362
Top states receiving refugees from Ethiopia
#1. Minnesota: 145
#2. Washington: 31
#3. New York: 19
#4. Georgia: 17
#5. Colorado: 16
#20. Central African Republic
Refugees that arrived from Central African Republic since October 2022
To New York: 18
To the U.S. as a whole: 597
Top states receiving refugees from Central African Republic
#1. Texas: 92
#2. Colorado: 52
#3. Georgia: 40
#4. Arizona: 39
#5. Oregon: 37
#21. Palestine
Refugees that arrived from Palestine since October 2022
To New York: 15
To the U.S. as a whole: 50
Top states receiving refugees from Palestine
#1. New York: 15
#2. California: 9
#3. Nebraska: 8
#4. Michigan: 6
#5. Illinois: 4
#22. Burundi
Refugees that arrived from Burundi since October 2022
To New York: 14
To the U.S. as a whole: 272
Top states receiving refugees from Burundi
#1. Iowa: 38
#2. Texas: 32
#3. Pennsylvania: 23
#4. Missouri: 21
#5. Michigan: 15
#23. Uzbekistan
Refugees that arrived from Uzbekistan since October 2022
To New York: 12
To the U.S. as a whole: 90
Top states receiving refugees from Uzbekistan
#1. California: 23
#1. Washington: 23
#3. Ohio: 15
#4. New York: 12
#5. Maine: 7
#24. Russia
Refugees that arrived from Russia since October 2022
To New York: 6
To the U.S. as a whole: 234
Top states receiving refugees from Russia
#1. California: 67
#2. Washington: 57
#3. Oregon: 26
#4. Ohio: 11
#5. Minnesota: 9
#25. Nicaragua
Refugees that arrived from Nicaragua since October 2022
To New York: 5
To the U.S. as a whole: 156
Top states receiving refugees from Nicaragua
#1. Florida: 29
#2. Texas: 20
#3. Arizona: 10
#3. Maryland: 10
#3. Massachusetts: 10
#25. Sri Lanka
Refugees that arrived from Sri Lanka since October 2022
To New York: 5
To the U.S. as a whole: 13
Top states receiving refugees from Sri Lanka
#1. New York: 5
#2. Texas: 4
#3. Minnesota: 2
#3. New Jersey: 2
#25. Haiti
Refugees that arrived from Haiti since October 2022
To New York: 5
To the U.S. as a whole: 32
Top states receiving refugees from Haiti
#1. New York: 5
#1. Ohio: 5
#3. Colorado: 4
#3. Pennsylvania: 4
#5. California: 3
#28. Moldova
Refugees that arrived from Moldova since October 2022
To New York: 4
To the U.S. as a whole: 442
Top states receiving refugees from Moldova
#1. Washington: 116
#2. California: 99
#3. Massachusetts: 54
#4. Minnesota: 32
#4. North Carolina: 32
#28. Senegal
Refugees that arrived from Senegal since October 2022
To New York: 4
To the U.S. as a whole: 86
Top states receiving refugees from Senegal
#1. Illinois: 12
#2. Texas: 9
#2. Massachusetts: 9
#4. South Carolina: 8
#5. North Carolina: 7
#30. China
Refugees that arrived from China since October 2022
To New York: 3
To the U.S. as a whole: 15
Top states receiving refugees from China
#1. Texas: 6
#2. California: 4
#3. New York: 3
#4. Colorado: 1
#4. Georgia: 1
#31. Egypt
Refugees that arrived from Egypt since October 2022
To New York: 2
To the U.S. as a whole: 5
Top states receiving refugees from Egypt
#1. New York: 2
#2. Illinois: 1
#2. Kentucky: 1
#2. Nevada: 1
#31. Iran
Refugees that arrived from Iran since October 2022
To New York: 2
To the U.S. as a whole: 675
Top states receiving refugees from Iran
#1. Texas: 150
#2. California: 145
#3. Washington: 75
#4. Georgia: 43
#5. Nevada: 27
#31. Uganda
Refugees that arrived from Uganda since October 2022
To New York: 2
To the U.S. as a whole: 38
Top states receiving refugees from Uganda
#1. Ohio: 6
#2. Arizona: 4
#2. Colorado: 4
#2. Illinois: 4
#2. New Jersey: 4
#34. Nepal
Refugees that arrived from Nepal since October 2022
To New York: 1
To the U.S. as a whole: 18
Top states receiving refugees from Nepal
#1. Ohio: 5
#2. Illinois: 4
#3. Pennsylvania: 2
#3. Tennessee: 2
#3. Vermont: 2
#34. Cuba
Refugees that arrived from Cuba since October 2022
To New York: 1
To the U.S. as a whole: 27
Top states receiving refugees from Cuba
#1. Washington: 9
#2. Florida: 8
#3. Texas: 5
#4. Nevada: 3
#5. Georgia: 1
#34. Mali
Refugees that arrived from Mali since October 2022
To New York: 1
To the U.S. as a whole: 26
Top states receiving refugees from Mali
#1. Pennsylvania: 6
#2. North Carolina: 4
#3. Arizona: 2
#3. Louisiana: 2
#3. Massachusetts: 2
#34. Tanzania
Refugees that arrived from Tanzania since October 2022
To New York: 1
To the U.S. as a whole: 1
Top states receiving refugees from Tanzania
#1. New York: 1
#34. Cameroon
Refugees that arrived from Cameroon since October 2022
To New York: 1
To the U.S. as a whole: 29
Top states receiving refugees from Cameroon
#1. New Mexico: 8
#2. Michigan: 4
#3. Illinois: 3
#3. Nevada: 3
#5. Colorado: 2
#34. Belarus
Refugees that arrived from Belarus since October 2022
To New York: 1
To the U.S. as a whole: 90
Top states receiving refugees from Belarus
#1. California: 24
#2. North Carolina: 17
#3. Washington: 15
#4. Georgia: 11
#5. Ohio: 7
#34. Indonesia
Refugees that arrived from Indonesia since October 2022
To New York: 1
To the U.S. as a whole: 5
Top states receiving refugees from Indonesia
#1. Kentucky: 3
#2. Arizona: 1
#2. New York: 1
