Syrian refugee arrivals temporarily suspended (interactive map)

Almost half of U.S. states had fewer than four Syrian refugee arrivals from 2010 through 2015, according to data from the Department of State’s Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration. The U.N. Human Rights Office estimates that almost 200,000 people in Syria were killed between March 2011 and April 2014. To avoid death, thousands of displaced Syrians have settled in refugee camps like the Zaatari camp in Jordan, where more than half of the residents are under age 18.

“Tragically, it is probably an underestimate of the real total number of people killed during the first three years of this murderous conflict,” U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay said in August 2014. The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees identified more than 4 million registered Syrian refugees as of Nov. 18.

California had 261 Syrian refugee arrivals from 2010 through 2015 — the highest U.S. total during that time, only 43 of them arriving before 2015. Fifteen states had no Syrian refugee arrivals during the same time period.

Gov. Bruce Rauner said Monday that Illinois would temporarily stop accepting Syrian refugees, joining more than 20 other states with temporary bans, most with Republican leadership. Since 2010, Illinois has accepted fewer than 200 refugees, most of whom have been placed in Chicago. Syrian refugees have been placed in 10 Illinois cities since 2010, according to State Department data.

Rauner acknowledged Illinois’ history of accepting people from conflict areas but said “the news surrounding the Paris terror attacks reminds us of the all-too-real security threats facing America,” citing safety and security concerns in imposing the temporary ban. As of Nov. 18, none of the known attackers in Paris has been identified as a refugee.

Syrian refugee arrivals to Illinois, 2010-15

Click on the circles for year-by-year data.

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Syrian refugee arrivals to U.S., 2010 – 2015

Click on each state for year-by-year data.

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Sources: Department of State; UNHCR; Washington Post reporting; Tribune reporting

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