Canada Took in More Refugees in 2018 Than US

Canada led the world in the number of refugees it accepted in 2018 after the United States saw a drop of 10,000 from the previous year.

The Pew Research Center compiled some statistics that showed Canada took in 28,000 refugees last year, more than the 23,000 who went to the U.S. In 2017, the U.S. took in 33,000 — a sizable decrease from the 2016 total of 97,000.

Overall, countries across the world resettled 92,000 refugees in 2018 — fewer than the 103,000 who were resettled in 2017. In 2016, 189,000 refugees were resettled.

Other key takeaways in the data:

• 47% of all refugees resettled in 2018 came from the Middle East, followed by Africa (32%), Asia-Pacific (14%), Europe (4%), and the Americas (2%).

• 85% of the refugees resettled in the United Kingdom last year came from the Middle East.

• Fewer than 1% of Middle Eastern refugees last year resettled in the U.S., with the majority coming from Africa (51%).

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said last September the U.S. planned to accept no more than 45,000 refugees in 2018. He indicated the 2019 cap would be 30,000.

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