Where refugees in Missouri are arriving from

Stacker
·4 min read
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Shadows of group of people walking through the sunny streets with painted United States of America flag on the floor.
Shadows of group of people walking through the sunny streets with painted United States of America flag on the floor.
Robsonphoto // Shutterstock

Where refugees in Missouri 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 October 2023, 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 Missouri in October 2023.

Woman carries basket through street in Bukavu
Woman carries basket through street in Bukavu
Katja Tsvetkova // Shutterstock

#1. Congo

Refugees that arrived from Congo since October 2023
To Missouri: 83

To the U.S. as a whole: 1,920
Top states receiving refugees from Congo
#1. Kentucky: 305
#2. Arizona: 121
#3. Texas: 119
#4. lowa: 109
#5. Michigan: 104

People buying spices at a street market in Damascus
People buying spices at a street market in Damascus
hanohiki // Shutterstock

#2. Syria

Refugees that arrived from Syria since October 2023
To Missouri: 13

To the U.S. as a whole: 1,907
Top states receiving refugees from Syria
#1. Michigan: 277
#2. California: 152
#3. New York: 129
#4. Pennsylvania: 124
#5. Illinois: 105

Daily scene of tuktuks, street stalls and motorbikes in San Pedro
Daily scene of tuktuks, street stalls and motorbikes in San Pedro
Lauren Squire // Shutterstock

#3. Guatemala

Refugees that arrived from Guatemala since October 2023
To Missouri: 10

To the U.S. as a whole: 217
Top states receiving refugees from Guatemala
#1. California: 26
#2. North Carolina: 22
#3. Texas: 15
#3. Illinois: 15
#5. Kentucky: 11

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

#4. Afghanistan

Refugees that arrived from Afghanistan since October 2023
To Missouri: 8

To the U.S. as a whole: 744
Top states receiving refugees from Afghanistan
#1. Virginia: 122
#2. California: 103
#3. Illinois: 56
#4. New York: 50
#5. Georgia: 46

Muslim woman in hijab waking on streets of Hargeisa
Muslim woman in hijab waking on streets of Hargeisa
Dave Primov // Shutterstock

#5. Somalia

Refugees that arrived from Somalia since October 2023
To Missouri: 7

To the U.S. as a whole: 232
Top states receiving refugees from Somalia
#1. Minnesota: 95
#2. Ohio: 17
#2. Arizona: 17
#4. Illinois: 12
#4. Washington: 12

Woman crossing road by Medlar Market in Asmara
Woman crossing road by Medlar Market in Asmara
Dave Primov // Shutterstock

#6. Eritrea

Refugees that arrived from Eritrea since October 2023
To Missouri: 6

To the U.S. as a whole: 110
Top states receiving refugees from Eritrea
#1. Maryland: 15
#2. Washington: 12
#3. Michigan: 11
#4. Pennsylvania: 8
#5. Kentucky: 7

Elevated view of Baghdad street scene
Elevated view of Baghdad street scene
Focus and Blur // Shutterstock

#6. Iraq

Refugees that arrived from Iraq since October 2023
To Missouri: 6

To the U.S. as a whole: 137
Top states receiving refugees from Iraq
#1. Michigan: 23
#2. Virginia: 20
#3. California: 19
#4. Washington: 13
#5. Texas: 12

Many people on a dirt street in Shendi
Many people on a dirt street in Shendi
Matyas Rehak // Shutterstock

#6. Sudan

Refugees that arrived from Sudan since October 2023
To Missouri: 6

To the U.S. as a whole: 92
Top states receiving refugees from Sudan
#1. Maryland: 22
#2. Tennessee: 16
#3. Missouri: 6
#4. Arizona: 5
#4. Texas: 5

Pedestrians on a street in Bogota, Columbia
Pedestrians on a street in Bogota, Columbia
Matyas Rehak // Shutterstock

#9. Colombia

Refugees that arrived from Colombia since October 2023
To Missouri: 2

To the U.S. as a whole: 131
Top states receiving refugees from Colombia
#1. Florida: 19
#2. New York: 17
#3. Texas: 10
#3. Maine: 10
#3. Washington: 10

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

#9. Venezuela

Refugees that arrived from Venezuela since October 2023
To Missouri: 2

To the U.S. as a whole: 357
Top states receiving refugees from Venezuela
#1. Florida: 77
#2. Texas: 28
#2. Tennessee: 28
#4. North Carolina: 20
#5. Washington: 19

This story features data reporting and writing by Emma Rubin and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 37 states.

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