More refugees arrived in Connecticut in the 2024 fiscal year than in any of the past 10 years.
Connecticut welcomed 1,032 refugees in the 2024 fiscal year, nearly twice as many as the 543 refugees in 2014.
But the increase hasn’t been steady. After peaking at 819 in 2016, the number of refugees admitted dropped steeply. Fewer than 100 per year arrived during the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic. Beginning in 2022, the numbers started coming back.
In fiscal year 2024, the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program admitted about 100,000 refugees nationally, a rebound from a record low of 15,000 in the 2021 fiscal year, the peak of the COVID pandemic. Connecticut typically receives around 1% of the national total.
The origins of refugees in Connecticut have also changed over the years. In 2012, most were arriving from Iraq, with 103 refugees. By 2024, that number had declined to just one, while 251 refugees arrived from Syria.
The number of Venezuelan refugees has also changed significantly. The first group was admitted to Connecticut through the U.S Refugee and Admissions Program in 2023, with just eight people. In the 2024 fiscal year, that number jumped to 169, according to the Refugee Processing Center.
Afghan refugees have also seen their numbers fluctuate in Connecticut. In 2012, only eight refugees from Afghanistan were admitted. That number rose to 21 in 2016, dropped to six in 2021, then grew again to 133 in 2024.
The flow of refugees from Burma, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Somalia to Connecticut has remained steadier over the past decade. The median number of refugees from Burma per year was 22, ranging from 60 in 2012 to 21 in 2024. For the Democratic Republic of Congo the median was 88, with arrivals peaking at 198 in 2016. Somalia had a median of 36 refugees per year, with 32 in 2012, 48 in 2016 and 39 in 2024.