Where refugees in North Carolina are arriving from
Where refugees in North Carolina 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 North Carolina 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 North Carolina:
#1. Venezuela: 31
#2. Afghanistan: 24
#3. Congo: 23
#4. Syria: 22
#5. Guatemala: 17
#6. Myanmar: 15
#7. Colombia: 9
#7. Nicaragua: 9
#9. El Salvador: 7
#10. Sudan: 6
#11. Central African Republic: 5
#12. Republic of South Sudan: 4
#13. Honduras: 2
#13. Vietnam: 2
#15. Somalia: 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 North Carolina has accepted the most refugees from since the start of the fiscal year in October 2023.
#1. Congo
Refugees that arrived from Congo since October 2023
To North Carolina: 533
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
#2. Syria
Refugees that arrived from Syria since October 2023
To North Carolina: 293
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
#3. Myanmar
Refugees that arrived from Myanmar since October 2023
To North Carolina: 233
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
#4. Afghanistan
Refugees that arrived from Afghanistan since October 2023
To North Carolina: 229
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
#5. Venezuela
Refugees that arrived from Venezuela since October 2023
To North Carolina: 204
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. Guatemala
Refugees that arrived from Guatemala since October 2023
To North Carolina: 199
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
#7. Eritrea
Refugees that arrived from Eritrea since October 2023
To North Carolina: 104
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
#8. Somalia
Refugees that arrived from Somalia since October 2023
To North Carolina: 99
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. Colombia
Refugees that arrived from Colombia since October 2023
To North Carolina: 91
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
#10. Nicaragua
Refugees that arrived from Nicaragua since October 2023
To North Carolina: 72
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
#11. El Salvador
Refugees that arrived from El Salvador since October 2023
To North Carolina: 70
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
#12. Sudan
Refugees that arrived from Sudan since October 2023
To North Carolina: 57
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. Pakistan
Refugees that arrived from Pakistan since October 2023
To North Carolina: 46
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
#14. Central African Republic
Refugees that arrived from Central African Republic since October 2023
To North Carolina: 40
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
#15. Honduras
Refugees that arrived from Honduras since October 2023
To North Carolina: 31
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. Iraq
Refugees that arrived from Iraq since October 2023
To North Carolina: 30
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
#16. Ukraine
Refugees that arrived from Ukraine since October 2023
To North Carolina: 30
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
#18. Vietnam
Refugees that arrived from Vietnam since October 2023
To North Carolina: 27
To the U.S. as a whole: 100
Top states receiving refugees from Vietnam
#1. Minnesota: 52
#2. North Carolina: 27
#3. Oklahoma: 7
#4. Arkansas: 5
#5. Illinois: 3
#19. Republic of South Sudan
Refugees that arrived from Republic of South Sudan since October 2023
To North Carolina: 23
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
#20. Russia
Refugees that arrived from Russia since October 2023
To North Carolina: 22
To the U.S. as a whole: 295
Top states receiving refugees from Russia
#1. Washington: 77
#2. California: 62
#3. Oregon: 24
#4. North Carolina: 22
#5. Minnesota: 20
#21. Belarus
Refugees that arrived from Belarus since October 2023
To North Carolina: 20
To the U.S. as a whole: 295
Top states receiving refugees from Belarus
#1. Washington: 70
#2. California: 50
#3. New York: 27
#4. Massachusetts: 26
#5. Pennsylvania: 24
#22. Republic of Congo
Refugees that arrived from Republic of Congo since October 2023
To North Carolina: 19
To the U.S. as a whole: 338
Top states receiving refugees from Republic of Congo
#1. Missouri: 32
#2. Pennsylvania: 28
#3. New York: 25
#3. Illinois: 25
#5. South Carolina: 24
#23. Moldova
Refugees that arrived from Moldova since October 2023
To North Carolina: 14
To the U.S. as a whole: 320
Top states receiving refugees from Moldova
#1. Washington: 100
#2. California: 97
#3. Florida: 24
#4. Oregon: 22
#5. Minnesota: 17
#24. Nigeria
Refugees that arrived from Nigeria since October 2023
To North Carolina: 13
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
#24. Ethiopia
Refugees that arrived from Ethiopia since October 2023
To North Carolina: 13
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
#26. Mali
Refugees that arrived from Mali since October 2023
To North Carolina: 11
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
#26. Rwanda
Refugees that arrived from Rwanda since October 2023
To North Carolina: 11
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
#28. Iran
Refugees that arrived from Iran since October 2023
To North Carolina: 10
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
#29. Guinea
Refugees that arrived from Guinea since October 2023
To North Carolina: 7
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
#30. Yemen
Refugees that arrived from Yemen since October 2023
To North Carolina: 6
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
#30. Cambodia
Refugees that arrived from Cambodia since October 2023
To North Carolina: 6
To the U.S. as a whole: 53
Top states receiving refugees from Cambodia
#1. Texas: 17
#2. North Carolina: 6
#2. Rhode Island: 6
#4. California: 5
#4. Oregon: 5
#32. Cameroon
Refugees that arrived from Cameroon since October 2023
To North Carolina: 3
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
#33. Jordan
Refugees that arrived from Jordan since October 2023
To North Carolina: 2
To the U.S. as a whole: 5
Top states receiving refugees from Jordan
#1. Massachusetts: 3
#2. North Carolina: 2
#33. Jamaica
Refugees that arrived from Jamaica since October 2023
To North Carolina: 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.