The United States admitted its 10,000th Syrian refugee this week in a resettlement program announced by President Obama last fall, according to The White House.
Under pressure from Europe and other countries confronting the global migration crisis last fall, Mr. Obama had raised the number of Syrian refugees who would be offered legal status to at least 10,000 in the 2016 fiscal year.
Where Refugees Were Placed
600
300
Number of refugees
placed, 2012-16
Seattle
100
Spokane
10
Beaverton
Richland
Portland
Portland
Fargo
Concord
Syracuse
Albany
Boise
Minneapolis
Rochester
Oshkosh
Boston
Grand
Rapids
Buffalo
Providence
Rochester
Sheboygan
New Haven
Dearborn
Madison
Erie
Allentown
New York
Rockford
Des Moines
Cleveland
Elizabeth
Sacramento
Philadelphia
Pittsburgh
Chicago
Salt Lake
City
Fair Oaks
Omaha
Oakland
Baltimore
Columbus
Indianapolis
San Jose
Denver
Cincinnati
Charlottesville
Kansas
City
Turlock
Salinas
Colorado
Springs
Newport News
Louisville
Lexington
St. Louis
Raleigh
Wichita
Las Vegas
Durham
Winston-Salem
Nashville
Victorville
Charlotte
Los Angeles
Springdale
Tulsa
Glendale
Santa Ana
Irvine
Memphis
Columbia
Albuquerque
Phoenix
Atlanta
San Diego
Savannah
Dallas
Fort Worth
Tucson
Tallahassee
Midland
Jacksonville
Baton Rouge
Pensacola
Orlando
Austin
Houston
New Orleans
Kissimmee
Clearwater
San Antonio
Palm Beach
Tampa
Delray Beach
Miami
600
Number of refugees
placed, 2012-16
300
100
Seattle
10
Spokane
Portland
Portland
Fargo
Concord
Syracuse
Boise
Minneapolis
Boston
Oshkosh
Buffalo
Rochester
Dearborn
New York
Cleveland
Des Moines
Sacramento
Chicago
Pittsburgh
Philadelphia
Salt Lake City
Omaha
Oakland
Columbus
Baltimore
Indianapolis
San Jose
Cincinnati
Denver
Charlottesville
Turlock
Lexington
Kansas City
Newport News
St. Louis
Louisville
Raleigh
Las Vegas
Wichita
Nashville
Winston-Salem
Charlotte
Los Angeles
Glendale
Tulsa
Santa Ana
Memphis
Albuquerque
Columbia
Phoenix
San Diego
Atlanta
Dallas
Savannah
Fort Worth
Tucson
Tallahassee
Jacksonville
Austin
Orlando
New Orleans
Houston
San Antonio
Tampa
Delray Beach
Miami
Seattle
Spokane
Portland
Portland
Syracuse
Boise
Boston
Buffalo
Providence
Dearborn
Sacramento
Philadelphia
Chicago
Omaha
Baltimore
Salt Lake City
Denver
St.
Louis
Kansas City
Louisville
Winston-Salem
Charlotte
Nashville
Memphis
Phoenix
Atlanta
San Diego
Savannah
Dallas
Tucson
Jacksonville
Austin
600
Number placed
2012-16
Houston
Tampa
Delray Beach
100
Miami
600
Number placed, 2012-16
100
Seattle
Dearborn
Boise
New
York
Chicago
Sacramento
St. Louis
Charlotte
Phoenix
Atlanta
San Diego
Dallas
Tucson
Houston
Tampa
Miami
The refugees who have arrived from Syria since 2012 have been placed in 231 towns and cities.
Some of them have reached large cities like Chicago and Houston, but most have been sent to more affordable, medium-size cities. Boise, Idaho, has accepted more refugees than New York and Los Angeles combined; Worcester, Mass., has taken in more than Boston.
Refugees placed each year
2013
2014
2015
2016
2013
2014
2015
2016
2013
2014
2015
2016
2013
2014
2015
2016
With the 10,000 admitted this fiscal year, the United States has now accepted nearly 12,000 Syrian refugees since the civil war began five years ago.
Before the recent surge in admissions, Syrians were just a small percentage of all refugees allowed into the United States. In the 2015 fiscal year, just 2 percent of the 70,000 refugees admitted were from Syria. The majority were from Myanmar, Iraq and Somalia.
In the past, the United States has admitted far larger numbers of refugees. In 1979, it provided sanctuary to 111,000 Vietnamese refugees, and in 1980, it added another 207,000. Around the same time, the country took in more than 120,000 Cuban refugees during the Mariel boatlift, including around 80,000 in one month alone.
To ease integration, Syrian refugees have been placed in communities where there are other Syrian immigrants.
More than 150,000 Syrians already live in the United States, according to census figures, and refugees who have relatives in the country are likely to be resettled with or near them.
Those who do not have family in the United States are placed where jobs are more plentiful and the cost of housing is low.
People with Syrian ancestry, per 100,000 residents
10
50
100
200
Town or city with
at least one Syrian
refugee placed since 2012
10
50
100
200
Town or city with at least one
Syrian refugee placed since 2012
10
50
100
200
Town or city with at least one
Syrian refugee placed since 2012
Areas of
detail below
10
50
100
200
Town or city with
at least one Syrian
refugee placed since 2012
Refugees receive help finding work and housing, but they are expected to become self-sufficient within a year.
Nadim Fawzi Jouriyeh, a former construction worker from Syria, is among the latest group of refugees to be accepted, according to The Associated Press. Mr. Jouriyeh, his wife and four children are headed to San Diego, which has accepted more Syrian refugees since 2012 than any other city.
Most of the refugees have been admitted in the past three months.
While Mr. Obama’s resettlement program got off to a slow start, the administration reached its 10,000-refugee goal a month ahead of schedule. Eight months into the program, the United States had accepted only a quarter of the target.
One challenge was that the Syrian refugees were subjected to an additional layer of background checks, which extended a lengthy vetting process.
2,500
2,000
1,500
1,000
Syrian refugees admitted each month
500
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
AUG.
2,500
2,000
1,500
Syrian refugees admitted
each month
1,000
500
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
AUG.
2,500
2,000
Syrian refugees
admitted
each month
1,500
1,000
500
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016