Where refugees in Florida are arriving from

WFLA
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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 Florida in February 2024.

February refugee statistics
Countries where refugees arrived from in February
To Florida:
#1. Venezuela: 233
#2. Syria: 55
#3. Afghanistan: 47
#4. Colombia: 43
#5. Guatemala: 36
#6. Congo: 27
#7. Honduras: 25
#8. Nicaragua: 16
#9. Cuba: 11
#9. Burma: 11
#11. Pakistan: 9
#11. Sudan: 9
#11. Haiti: 9
#14. El Salvador: 8
#15. Central African Republic: 7
#16. Belarus: 5
#17. Republic of South Sudan: 1
#17. Russia: 1
#17. Somalia: 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 Florida has accepted the most refugees from since the start of the fiscal year in October 2023.

An aerial view of caracas, Venezuela.
An aerial view of caracas, Venezuela.

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#1. Venezuela

Refugees that arrived from Venezuela since October 2023
To Florida: 501

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

People buying spices at a street market in Damascus
People buying spices at a street market in Damascus

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hanohiki // Shutterstock

#2. Syria

Refugees that arrived from Syria since October 2023
To Florida: 314

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

People walking by a Cathedral in Granada, Nicaragua
People walking by a Cathedral in Granada, Nicaragua

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Milosz Maslanka // Shutterstock

#3. Nicaragua

Refugees that arrived from Nicaragua since October 2023
To Florida: 151

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

Cars, people and mopeds on the streets of Kinshasa.
Cars, people and mopeds on the streets of Kinshasa.

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Katja Tsvetkova // Shutterstock

#4. Congo

Refugees that arrived from Congo since October 2023
To Florida: 117

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

Daily scene of tuktuks, street stalls and motorbikes in San Pedro
Daily scene of tuktuks, street stalls and motorbikes in San Pedro

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Lauren Squire // Shutterstock

#5. Guatemala

Refugees that arrived from Guatemala since October 2023
To Florida: 113

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

Afghan women in burkas pass by a man outside a market
Afghan women in burkas pass by a man outside a market

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#6. Afghanistan

Refugees that arrived from Afghanistan since October 2023
To Florida: 112

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

Pedestrians on a street in Bogota, Columbia
Pedestrians on a street in Bogota, Columbia

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Matyas Rehak // Shutterstock

#7. Colombia

Refugees that arrived from Colombia since October 2023
To Florida: 98

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

Woman and child on busy market street of Copan
Woman and child on busy market street of Copan

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amnat30 // Shutterstock

#8. Honduras

Refugees that arrived from Honduras since October 2023
To Florida: 65

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

An aerial view of El Salvador.
An aerial view of El Salvador.

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#9. El Salvador

Refugees that arrived from El Salvador since October 2023
To Florida: 36

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

A horse-drawn taxi passes through a busy shopping area
A horse-drawn taxi passes through a busy shopping area

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Chantal de Bruijne // Shutterstock

#10. Burma

Refugees that arrived from Burma since October 2023
To Florida: 35

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

Woman carrying child to Lviv train station on snowy day
Woman carrying child to Lviv train station on snowy day

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Ruslan Lytvyn // Shutterstock

#11. Ukraine

Refugees that arrived from Ukraine since October 2023
To Florida: 32

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

A distant view of the Havana skyline in Cuba.
A distant view of the Havana skyline in Cuba.

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#11. Cuba

Refugees that arrived from Cuba since October 2023
To Florida: 32

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

Many people on a dirt street in Shendi
Many people on a dirt street in Shendi

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Matyas Rehak // Shutterstock

#13. Sudan

Refugees that arrived from Sudan since October 2023
To Florida: 30

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

People shopping at Pieta Central market in Chisinau
People shopping at Pieta Central market in Chisinau

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JackKPhoto // Shutterstock

#14. Moldova

Refugees that arrived from Moldova since October 2023
To Florida: 18

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

Men gathered in the streets with motorcycles in Juba
Men gathered in the streets with motorcycles in Juba

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punghi // Shutterstock

#15. Republic of South Sudan

Refugees that arrived from Republic of South Sudan since October 2023
To Florida: 12

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

A distant view of homes on a hillside in Haiti.
A distant view of homes on a hillside in Haiti.

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#16. Haiti

Refugees that arrived from Haiti since October 2023
To Florida: 11

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

Muslim woman in hijab waking on streets of Hargeisa
Muslim woman in hijab waking on streets of Hargeisa

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Dave Primov // Shutterstock

#17. Somalia

Refugees that arrived from Somalia since October 2023
To Florida: 9

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

People walking through the Chitta Gate in the old town area of Lahore
People walking through the Chitta Gate in the old town area of Lahore

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W_NAMKET // Shutterstock

#17. Pakistan

Refugees that arrived from Pakistan since October 2023
To Florida: 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

Group of children playing soccer on a rural road
Group of children playing soccer on a rural road

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sandis sveicers // Shutterstock

#19. Central African Republic

Refugees that arrived from Central African Republic since October 2023
To Florida: 8

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

People crossing a busy street near Moscow’s business center
People crossing a busy street near Moscow’s business center

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YuryKara // Shutterstock

#20. Russia

Refugees that arrived from Russia since October 2023
To Florida: 6

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

A panoramic view of Minsk, Belarus.
A panoramic view of Minsk, Belarus.

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karp5 // Shutterstock

#21. Belarus

Refugees that arrived from Belarus since October 2023
To Florida: 5

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

Elevated view of Baghdad street scene
Elevated view of Baghdad street scene

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Focus and Blur // Shutterstock

#22. Iraq

Refugees that arrived from Iraq since October 2023
To Florida: 4

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

Pedestrians and traffic on the streets of Almaty
Pedestrians and traffic on the streets of Almaty

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Omri Eliyahu // Shutterstock

#22. Kazakhstan

Refugees that arrived from Kazakhstan since October 2023
To Florida: 4

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

People standing in front of shops by roadside
People standing in front of shops by roadside

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Beata Tabak // Shutterstock

#22. Ivory Coast

Refugees that arrived from Ivory Coast since October 2023
To Florida: 4

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

Woman crossing road by Medlar Market in Asmara
Woman crossing road by Medlar Market in Asmara

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Dave Primov // Shutterstock

#25. Eritrea

Refugees that arrived from Eritrea since October 2023
To Florida: 3

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

A distant view of Mount Victoria in Cameroon.
A distant view of Mount Victoria in Cameroon.

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#26. Cameroon

Refugees that arrived from Cameroon since October 2023
To Florida: 1

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

Woman walking on busy street in Kampala with basket of mangos
Woman walking on busy street in Kampala with basket of mangos

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Vlad Karavaev // Shutterstock

#26. Uganda

Refugees that arrived from Uganda since October 2023
To Florida: 1

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

Cars, people and mopeds on the streets of Kinshasa.
Cars, people and mopeds on the streets of Kinshasa.

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Katja Tsvetkova // Shutterstock

#26. Congo

Refugees that arrived from Congo since October 2023
To Florida: 1

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

This story features data reporting and writing by Emma Rubin and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 46 states.

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