Where refugees in Washington 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 February 2024, the greatest number of refugees admitted by the U.S. came from Congo, Syria, 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 Washington in February 2024.
February refugee statistics
Countries where refugees arrived from in February
To Washington:
#1. Afghanistan: 113
#2. Syria: 53
#3. Ukraine: 41
#4. Burma: 36
#5. Congo: 33
#6. Venezuela: 27
#7. Belarus: 20
#8. Eritrea: 17
#8. Russia: 17
#10. Colombia: 14
#11. Moldova: 11
#12. Ethiopia: 10
#13. Kazakhstan: 8
#14. Somalia: 5
#14. Sudan: 5
#14. Guatemala: 5
#17. Georgia: 3
#17. Burundi: 3
#19. Central African Republic: 2
#20. Nicaragua: 1
To the U.S. as a whole:
#1. Congo: 2,426
#2. Afghanistan: 1,299
#3. Venezuela: 1,230
#4. Syria: 981
#5. Burma: 826
States that accepted the most refugees in February:
#1. Texas: 1,062
#2. California: 572
#3. Florida: 554
#4. New York: 507
#5. Arizona: 450
Read on to see the countries that Washington has accepted the most refugees from since the start of the fiscal year in October 2023.
#1. Afghanistan
Refugees that arrived from Afghanistan since October 2023
To Washington: 440
To the U.S. as a whole: 5,925
Top states receiving refugees from Afghanistan
#1. California: 1,228
#2. Virginia: 655
#3. Texas: 542
#4. Washington: 440
#5. Maryland: 272
#2. Ukraine
Refugees that arrived from Ukraine since October 2023
To Washington: 249
To the U.S. as a whole: 725
Top states receiving refugees from Ukraine
#1. Washington: 249
#2. California: 110
#3. Ohio: 40
#4. New York: 37
#5. Kentucky: 35
#3. Syria
Refugees that arrived from Syria since October 2023
To Washington: 222
To the U.S. as a whole: 6,818
Top states receiving refugees from Syria
#1. New York: 673
#2. Michigan: 655
#3. Pennsylvania: 465
#4. Texas: 375
#5. California: 361
#4. Congo
Refugees that arrived from Congo since October 2023
To Washington: 104
To the U.S. as a whole: 9,929
Top states receiving refugees from Congo
#1. Kentucky: 893
#2. Texas: 804
#3. Arizona: 747
#4. Ohio: 645
#5. New York: 600
#5. Moldova
Refugees that arrived from Moldova since October 2023
To Washington: 85
To the U.S. as a whole: 278
Top states receiving refugees from Moldova
#1. California: 89
#2. Washington: 85
#3. Florida: 18
#4. Minnesota: 16
#5. North Carolina: 14
#6. Venezuela
Refugees that arrived from Venezuela since October 2023
To Washington: 72
To the U.S. as a whole: 2,504
Top states receiving refugees from Venezuela
#1. Florida: 501
#2. Texas: 304
#3. Georgia: 146
#4. Illinois: 143
#5. Tennessee: 110
#7. Burma
Refugees that arrived from Burma since October 2023
To Washington: 71
To the U.S. as a whole: 2,899
Top states receiving refugees from Burma
#1. Texas: 327
#2. Illinois: 297
#3. New York: 266
#4. Georgia: 192
#5. Arizona: 189
#8. Eritrea
Refugees that arrived from Eritrea since October 2023
To Washington: 68
To the U.S. as a whole: 735
Top states receiving refugees from Eritrea
#1. Texas: 73
#2. Washington: 68
#3. Maryland: 61
#4. North Carolina: 45
#5. Ohio: 41
#9. Guatemala
Refugees that arrived from Guatemala since October 2023
To Washington: 59
To the U.S. as a whole: 1,920
Top states receiving refugees from Guatemala
#1. California: 270
#2. Texas: 172
#3. North Carolina: 148
#4. Florida: 113
#5. New York: 87
#10. Russia
Refugees that arrived from Russia since October 2023
To Washington: 51
To the U.S. as a whole: 184
Top states receiving refugees from Russia
#1. Washington: 51
#2. California: 37
#3. Minnesota: 20
#4. North Carolina: 19
#4. Oregon: 19
#11. Belarus
Refugees that arrived from Belarus since October 2023
To Washington: 50
To the U.S. as a whole: 178
Top states receiving refugees from Belarus
#1. Washington: 50
#2. California: 35
#3. Massachusetts: 20
#4. Minnesota: 16
#5. New York: 14
#12. Colombia
Refugees that arrived from Colombia since October 2023
To Washington: 46
To the U.S. as a whole: 685
Top states receiving refugees from Colombia
#1. Florida: 98
#2. North Carolina: 59
#3. Texas: 54
#4. New York: 49
#5. Washington: 46
#13. Kazakhstan
Refugees that arrived from Kazakhstan since October 2023
To Washington: 39
To the U.S. as a whole: 104
Top states receiving refugees from Kazakhstan
#1. Washington: 39
#2. California: 19
#2. Pennsylvania: 19
#4. Oregon: 10
#5. Massachusetts: 5
#14. Iraq
Refugees that arrived from Iraq since October 2023
To Washington: 38
To the U.S. as a whole: 762
Top states receiving refugees from Iraq
#1. California: 136
#2. Michigan: 95
#3. Nebraska: 45
#3. Texas: 45
#5. Washington: 38
#14. Somalia
Refugees that arrived from Somalia since October 2023
To Washington: 38
To the U.S. as a whole: 1,283
Top states receiving refugees from Somalia
#1. Minnesota: 419
#2. Ohio: 110
#3. Georgia: 63
#4. New York: 62
#5. Arizona: 61
#16. Nicaragua
Refugees that arrived from Nicaragua since October 2023
To Washington: 35
To the U.S. as a whole: 786
Top states receiving refugees from Nicaragua
#1. Florida: 151
#2. California: 60
#3. Texas: 48
#4. Minnesota: 44
#5. North Carolina: 40
#17. Ethiopia
Refugees that arrived from Ethiopia since October 2023
To Washington: 24
To the U.S. as a whole: 232
Top states receiving refugees from Ethiopia
#1. Minnesota: 67
#2. Ohio: 25
#3. Washington: 24
#4. Georgia: 21
#5. lowa: 11
#18. Georgia
Refugees that arrived from Georgia since October 2023
To Washington: 23
To the U.S. as a whole: 34
Top states receiving refugees from Georgia
#1. Washington: 23
#2. Pennsylvania: 4
#3. California: 3
#4. Indiana: 2
#4. New York: 2
#19. Sudan
Refugees that arrived from Sudan since October 2023
To Washington: 20
To the U.S. as a whole: 870
Top states receiving refugees from Sudan
#1. Missouri: 57
#2. Nebraska: 56
#3. Texas: 55
#3. New York: 55
#5. Pennsylvania: 54
#20. Honduras
Refugees that arrived from Honduras since October 2023
To Washington: 12
To the U.S. as a whole: 505
Top states receiving refugees from Honduras
#1. Texas: 87
#2. Florida: 65
#3. California: 33
#4. Georgia: 32
#4. New York: 32
#20. El Salvador
Refugees that arrived from El Salvador since October 2023
To Washington: 12
To the U.S. as a whole: 691
Top states receiving refugees from El Salvador
#1. California: 84
#2. Texas: 80
#3. Maryland: 76
#4. Virginia: 55
#5. North Carolina: 53
#20. Uzbekistan
Refugees that arrived from Uzbekistan since October 2023
To Washington: 12
To the U.S. as a whole: 40
Top states receiving refugees from Uzbekistan
#1. New York: 13
#2. Washington: 12
#3. California: 8
#4. Ohio: 6
#5. Minnesota: 1
#23. Pakistan
Refugees that arrived from Pakistan since October 2023
To Washington: 9
To the U.S. as a whole: 481
Top states receiving refugees from Pakistan
#1. Pennsylvania: 63
#2. Virginia: 57
#3. Texas: 53
#4. North Carolina: 46
#5. Maryland: 30
#23. Iran
Refugees that arrived from Iran since October 2023
To Washington: 9
To the U.S. as a whole: 205
Top states receiving refugees from Iran
#1. California: 110
#2. Texas: 18
#3. North Carolina: 10
#4. Washington: 9
#4. Illinois: 9
#25. Cuba
Refugees that arrived from Cuba since October 2023
To Washington: 6
To the U.S. as a whole: 76
Top states receiving refugees from Cuba
#1. Florida: 32
#2. Texas: 10
#3. Tennessee: 7
#4. Washington: 6
#5. New Hampshire: 4
#26. Guinea
Refugees that arrived from Guinea since October 2023
To Washington: 5
To the U.S. as a whole: 73
Top states receiving refugees from Guinea
#1. Colorado: 15
#2. Georgia: 7
#2. North Carolina: 7
#4. Arizona: 5
#4. Michigan: 5
#26. Republic of South Sudan
Refugees that arrived from Republic of South Sudan since October 2023
To Washington: 5
To the U.S. as a whole: 610
Top states receiving refugees from Republic of South Sudan
#1. Nebraska: 59
#2. Texas: 56
#3. Connecticut: 53
#4. Colorado: 46
#5. Minnesota: 44
#26. Rwanda
Refugees that arrived from Rwanda since October 2023
To Washington: 5
To the U.S. as a whole: 79
Top states receiving refugees from Rwanda
#1. Texas: 14
#2. North Carolina: 11
#3. South Carolina: 10
#4. Kentucky: 8
#5. Illinois: 6
#29. Uganda
Refugees that arrived from Uganda since October 2023
To Washington: 4
To the U.S. as a whole: 39
Top states receiving refugees from Uganda
#1. Massachusetts: 6
#2. Missouri: 5
#2. Ohio: 5
#4. Michigan: 4
#4. Washington: 4
#30. Burundi
Refugees that arrived from Burundi since October 2023
To Washington: 3
To the U.S. as a whole: 217
Top states receiving refugees from Burundi
#1. Texas: 32
#2. New York: 29
#3. Arizona: 28
#4. Pennsylvania: 14
#5. Maryland: 13
#30. Sweden
Refugees that arrived from Sweden since October 2023
To Washington: 3
To the U.S. as a whole: 3
Top states receiving refugees from Sweden
#1. Washington: 3
#30. China
Refugees that arrived from China since October 2023
To Washington: 3
To the U.S. as a whole: 3
Top states receiving refugees from China
#1. Washington: 3
#30. Nigeria
Refugees that arrived from Nigeria since October 2023
To Washington: 3
To the U.S. as a whole: 77
Top states receiving refugees from Nigeria
#1. Missouri: 14
#2. Arizona: 12
#3. Illinois: 9
#4. Massachusetts: 8
#4. North Carolina: 8
#34. Cameroon
Refugees that arrived from Cameroon since October 2023
To Washington: 2
To the U.S. as a whole: 88
Top states receiving refugees from Cameroon
#1. Texas: 11
#2. Pennsylvania: 10
#3. South Carolina: 6
#3. Massachusetts: 6
#3. California: 6
#34. Haiti
Refugees that arrived from Haiti since October 2023
To Washington: 2
To the U.S. as a whole: 83
Top states receiving refugees from Haiti
#1. Pennsylvania: 19
#2. Florida: 11
#3. Georgia: 9
#4. California: 8
#5. Missouri: 4
#34. Central African Republic
Refugees that arrived from Central African Republic since October 2023
To Washington: 2
To the U.S. as a whole: 395
Top states receiving refugees from Central African Republic
#1. Texas: 45
#2. Missouri: 38
#3. Georgia: 31
#4. Michigan: 24
#4. Massachusetts: 24
#37. Ivory Coast
Refugees that arrived from Ivory Coast since October 2023
To Washington: 1
To the U.S. as a whole: 62
Top states receiving refugees from Ivory Coast
#1. Pennsylvania: 10
#2. Minnesota: 8
#3. Massachusetts: 7
#4. Arkansas: 5
#5. Florida: 4
#37. Mauritania
Refugees that arrived from Mauritania since October 2023
To Washington: 1
To the U.S. as a whole: 1
Top states receiving refugees from Mauritania
#1. Washington: 1
This story features data reporting and writing by Emma Rubin and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 46 states.