The number of Muslim immigrant refugees coming to the US fell more than any other religion in the first half of the 2018 fiscal year. There were just 1,800 admissions, compared to the almost 22,900 refugees allowed to enter the country in the previous fiscal year. This is according to new data analysis from the US State Department by the Pew Research Center.
The reduction in the admission of refugees from the Muslim community mirrors a slowdown in the total number of immigrant refugees coming to the US, with just 10,500 – including around 6,700 of Christian faith – entering the country between 1 October last year and 31 March 2018.
That number is also a dramatic reduction in the figure of 39,100 at the same point last year, which included 16,900 Christians and 18,500 Muslims. In the first half of the 2018 fiscal year, the former now have an increased share. The number of all refugees admitted in the 2018 fiscal year is expected to be lower than that in previous years, with admissions having now been capped at 45,000 by the Trump administration. This is the lowest figure since the existing refugee program was created in 1980 by Congress.
This year’s slower pace of entry can also be partly attributed to admissions being restricted for several months by the Trump organization, due to an immigration review resulting in several tougher measures being introduced for security screenings.