How the Rebuilt U.S. System Resettled the Most Refugees in 30 Years

Muzaffar Chishti, Kathleen Bush-Joseph, and Madeleine Greene, MPI, Oct. 30, 2024

"The 100,034 refugees resettled in the United States in fiscal year (FY) 2024 represent the largest resettlement number in 30 years and a remarkable rebound from the approximately 11,400 admissions three years earlier—the lowest in the U.S. refugee program’s history. The turnaround re-cements the United States’ role as the top global resettlement destination, far surpassing other major resettlement countries in Europe and Canada. The sea change was the result of a large-scale investment in people and processes that support the refugee system, the streamlining of systems, and a willingness to experiment with policies such as establishing gateway facilities closer to refugees’ origin countries and allowing groups of private individuals to sponsor refugees. It was made possible by the bolstered operations of hundreds of resettlement offices nationwide, run by the ten nonprofit organizations that are authorized to help resettle refugees (one of which is a new addition). In the process, the Biden administration fulfilled a Joe Biden campaign promise and the result may stand as one of the few immigration-related legacies that has avoided becoming a political liability during this presidency. Admissions for the recently ended fiscal year were the highest since FY 1994, when nearly 113,000 refugees were resettled in the United States. While a significant increase over recent years, the number was still far off the historic highs of the initial stages of the modern U.S. refugee program. ... [more] ... "