The average U.S. citizen’s or immigrant’s exposure to facts about immigration is limited to what they see on televised or social media. The clear majority of what is spoken or written in wrapped in passionately-charged advocacy during debates about present or proposed immigration practices and policies. To minimize misconceptions stemming from these sources, here are some refugee and asylee facts that most people in the U.S. do not know.

• The annual ceiling for admission of refugees is assessed from time to time and may be adjusted up or down depending on the current world situation. The number of refugees admissions has equaled the ceiling only five times since 1980.
• The original refugee ceiling for 2017 was 110,000. It has been reduced to 50,000.
• People from the Democratic Republic of the Congo has been the leader in refugee arrivals in 2016 and 2017, with a total of nearly 24,000 arriving through April 2017.
• Although Syrian refugees get most of the headlines, they numbered only 1,682 in 2015 (2.4% of the total refugees), 12,587 in 2016 (14.8%), and 6,065 thus far in 2017 (14.3%). In 2015, well into the Syrian conflict, the number of people seeking refugee status from Cuba, Sudan, and Eritrea was similar to the number from Syria. The number of individuals from Myanmar seeking refugee status in the U.S. was nearly eleven times greater than those from Syria.
• A large majority of those seeking refugee status in U.S. fiscal 2017 are children under that age of 14 and women at around 70%.
• In 2015, more than 26,000 people were granted asylee status in the U.S. another 7,000+ family members of asylees were issued documents to family members already designated as asylees, for a total of more that 33,000.
• In 2015, the top five countries of origin of asylum seekers were China, El Salvador, Guatemala, Egypt, and Honduras.

In coming articles, we will expose some myths and misconception about refugees and asylees and their status in the United States.

Immigration laws are complicated, the system is overtaxed, and the process is lengthy. For these reasons, we advise any person seeking asylum to speak with an experienced immigration attorney before attempting to apply to enter the process.

Our staff of multilingual immigration and immigration law experts is available to help you navigate the asylum process. Contact us at www.Business-Visa-USA.com, www.Business-Visa-USA.cn, www.Business-Visa-USA.hk and www.Business-Visa-USA.ru.

As always, we welcome your input and discussions about immigration on our LinkedIn group: Business and Immigration News & Views https://www.linkedin.com/groups/8140530.

Note: Offer of services is not a guarantee of results. Every case is adjudicated on its own merits. We can help to determine your eligibility and direct you through the process.