US Welcomed Record Number of Muslim Refugees in 2016

More than half of the refugees originated from Syria and Somalia

In the fiscal year 2016, from Oct. 1, 2015 to Sept. 30, 2016, the U.S. welcomed a record number of Muslim refugees, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of data from the State Department's Refugee Processing Center, NBC News reported.

Of the 85,000 refugees who entered the country, 38,901, or 46 percent, were Muslim, Pew found. Similarly, 44 percent of refugees were Christian. This was the first time in a decade that there was a larger percentage of Muslim refugees than Christian. More than half of the refugees originated from Syria and Somalia.

The Obama administration set the goal of admitting 10,000 Syrian refugees by the end of the fiscal year, and its goal was met by the end of August. The administration has faced opposition from a number of states that fear the admittance of refugees could spur terroristic ties.

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