[dropcap letter=”T”]he United States accepted the most refugees in 2015 from the following five countries: Burma, Iraq, Somalia, Congo and Bhutan, according to data from the Department of Homeland Security. In total, these countries represent 76 percent of the total 69,920 refugees accepted.
People from these countries could be some of the most affected by President Donald Trump’s executive order banning refugee and immigrant travel into the United States, first issued on Jan. 27. The order targets all immigrants from seven countries, including Iraq and Somalia. But it also prevents the entry of refugees from any country for 120 days.
On Friday, a federal judge in Washington state temporarily halted the ban on refugees and certain immigrants, but the long-term effects on refugees remain uncertain as the order is challenged in courts.
The overall number of refugees coming to the U.S. has increased over the past several years, growing 24 percent from 2011 to 2015. Out of the top five countries, however, the number of refugees coming from Iraq, Somalia and Bhutan has actually decreased or remained stable from 2014 to 2015.
These visualizations show the change in refugees accepted from each of these countries over the past five years.
