10,000th Syrian Refugee Arrived in the U.S. Today
Syrian refugee family arrived in Kansas City in April, 2016. Image credit: Reuters
BY: Nisreen Eadeh/Staff Writer
The 10,000th Syrian refugee arrived in the U.S. this afternoon, fulfilling President Obama’s pledge announced last year.
The Obama Administration set the goal of admitting 10,000 Syrian refugees within the 2016 fiscal year, which was achieved a month ahead of schedule.
“This achievement is a testament to the hard work and dedication of employees across the federal government. Their commitment to meeting the President’s expectation that we both increase our refugee admissions and strengthen the integrity of the refugee program, including its stringent security screening protocols, has been essential to this effort,” said National Security Advisor Susan Rice in a statement.
Rice did not mention who the 10,000th Syrian refugee is or where the person will be living, but confirmed that the administration is on track to meet its goal of admitting 85,000 refugees in total from all over the world by the end of September.
“With 65 million people displaced, including more than 21 million refugees, we are facing a significant global challenge. Therefore, even as we have achieved this particular objective, we continue our work to strengthen the international response to humanitarian crises around the world,” Rice said.
Just a few months ago, it did not look like the Obama Administration would meet its goal. At the six-month mark in April, the U.S. had only admitted 1,285 Syrian refugees. Special surge centers were established in Jordan and Lebanon to help interview as many refugees as possible in order to meet the goal.
The admission of Syrian refugees has been a hot button issue in the 2016 election cycle. Many presidential candidates, governors, and state and federal lawmakers have supported a ban on all refugees coming from Syria for national security reasons. After the terrorist attacks in Paris and San Bernardino, many feared that violent extremists might pose as refugees to enter the U.S. and attack people.
But Syrians have kept moving from the war-torn country regardless of political furor. Over 4.8 million Syrians have been displaced since the start of the civil war in 2011, but only 0.02% of those have landed in the U.S. Regardless, the safety of thousands of families is an achievement.
According to the State Department, almost 50% of these new Arab Americans are ages 14 and under, while 62% are under the age of 20. The most welcoming state for Syrians has been Michigan, which has taken in over 800 in total. Second to Michigan is California, with Texas and Arizona close behind.
The District of Columbia and eleven states have not admitted a single Syrian refugee, including: Alaska, Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, West Virginia, Vermont, and Delaware.
Refugees are often resettled in communities where their ethnic groups already live in order to help with the transition process. However, with the high cost of living in states like New York and California, the Syrian refugee resettlement program has focused on smaller cities whose economies need revamping, such as Detroit and Cleveland.
It is a triumph of the Obama Administration to not only meet this resettlement goal, but also complete it a month early. Hopefully, the future will offer further refuge for Syrians looking to live in prosperity and safety.