15% Over Target: 11,491 Syrian Refugees Admitted Already; 0.46% Are Christians

With three weeks of the fiscal year to go, the Obama administration has exceeded its Syrian refugee admission target by 15 percent, with 11,491 resettled in the United States as of the beginning of this week.

 

Since President Obama’s goal of 10,000 Syrian refugee admissions in FY 2016 was achieved on August 29, the number continues to pick up steadily.

 

August ended with a new monthly record of 3,189 Syrian refugee arrivals, and a further 751 have been ushered in so far in September: 749 Sunni Muslims; two Catholic Christians.

 

State Department Refugee Processing Center data show that of the now total 11,491 arrivals this fiscal year, the vast majority – 11,300, or 98.33 percent – are Sunnis.

 

Just 54 of the 11,491 – 0.46 percent – are Christians. They comprise 14 Catholics, six Orthodox, four Protestants, one Greek Orthodox, plus 29 refugees identifying themselves simply as “Christian” rather than by denomination or sect.

 

Read More: 15% Over Target: 11,491 Syrian Refugees Admitted Already; 0.46% Are Christians