As we enter Fiscal Year 2019 today, it is customary we take a look at last fiscal year's refugee resettlement admissions. In FY 2018 (October 1, 2017 to September 30, 2018), a total of 22,491 refugees were resettled in the United States, under a refugee ceiling of 45,000. Refugees admitted were mostly Christian (68.1 percent), while Muslims accounted for 15.5 percent, and animists, Buddhists, and Hindus accounted for 9.3 percent. The top five countries of origin were: Congo (DRC and ROC combined), Myanmar (Burma), Ukraine, Bhutan, and Eritrea.
(See here for the details of FY 2016 refugee admissions, the last year fully within the Obama administration.)
Both FY 2018 and FY 2019 ceiling determinations set by President Trump (45,000 and 30,000 respectively) are the lowest ceilings since Congress passed the Refugee Act of 1980. FY 2018's total admissions of 22,491 are also the lowest number since the beginning of the resettlement program. Total yearly admissions have at times been lower than others (for instance, following 9/11, admissions fell to 27,131 in FY 2002 and 28,403 in FY 2003 – both years had a 70,000 ceiling), but FY 2018 is an all-time low.
Ceilings remain targets that can be out of reach. Fiscal year 2018's discrepancy between the ceiling of 45,000 and actual admissions of 22,491 happened because admissions were hindered by travel bans and the setting up of enhanced security and integrity measures. Improving the vetting process for refugee applicants seeking resettlement in the United States has in fact meant admitting fewer refugees.
FY 2018 Refugee Resettlement Admissions (data gathered from the Refugee Processing Center portal):
Total Admissions: 22,491 Refugees
- Christians: 15,318 (68.1 percent)
- Muslims: 3,495 (15.5 percent)
- Animist, Buddhist, Hindu: 2,098 (9.3 percent)
Top 10 Nationalities
- Congo (DRC and ROC combined): 7,883
- Myanmar (Burma): 3,555
- Ukraine: 2,635
- Bhutan: 2,228
- Eritrea: 1,269
- Afghanistan: 805
- El-Salvador: 735
- Pakistan: 441
- Russia: 437
- Ethiopia: 376
In December 2017, Presidential Proclamation 9645 restricted entry into the United States for nationals of Chad, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Syria, Somalia, Venezuela, and Yemen for security reasons (the "travel ban"). A total of 369 refugees (1.6 percent of all admissions) were resettled in FY 2018 from these eight countries:
- Chad: 1 (Muslim)
- Iran: 41 (23 Christians, 8 Muslims, 5 Bahai, 3 Sabeans-Mandean, 1 Jewish, 1 no religion)
- Libya: 1 (Muslim)
- North Korea: 5 (4 Christians, 1 Buddhist)
- Syria: 62 (42 Muslims, 20 Christians)
- Somalia: 257 (all Muslims)
- Venezuela: 0
- Yemen: 2 (Muslims)
(Note: 140 Iraqis were admitted in FY 2018, 106 of them Muslims.)
Monthly Admissions
- October 2017: 1,248
- November 2017: 1,858
- December 2017: 2,217
- January 2018: 1,385
- February 2018: 1,927
- March 2018: 1,914
- April 2018: 1,640
- May 2018: 2,142
- June 2018: 1,899
- July 2018: 1,984
- August 2018: 1,685
- September 2018: 2,592