U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Government Website

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Safely connect using HTTPS

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock () or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Table 16. Individuals Granted Asylum Affirmatively Or Defensively: Fiscal Years 1990 To 2016

The 2016 Yearbook of Immigration Statistics is a compendium of tables that provide data on foreign nationals who are granted lawful permanent residence (i.e., immigrants who receive a “green card”), admitted as temporary nonimmigrants, granted asylum or refugee status, or are naturalized. The Yearbook also presents data on immigration enforcement actions, including apprehensions and arrests, removals, and returns.

Table 16. Individuals Granted Asylum Affirmatively Or Defensively: Fiscal Years 1990 To 2016
Year Total Affirmative Defensive
2016 20,455 11,729 8,726
2015 25,971 17,787 8,184
2014 23,296 14,624 8,672
2013 24,997 15,230 9,767
2012 28,010 17,435 10,575
2011 23,570 13,432 10,138
2010 19,755 11,236 8,519
2009 22,288 11,988 10,300
2008 23,026 12,134 10,892
2007 25,318 12,459 12,859
2006 26,352 13,048 13,304
2005 25,304 13,547 11,757
2004 27,376 14,354 13,022
2003 28,743 15,367 13,376
2002 36,937 25,960 10,977
2001 39,148 29,147 10,001
2000 32,514 23,278 9,236
1999 26,571 18,150 8,421
1998 20,507 13,216 7,291
1997 22,939 16,380 6,559
1996 23,532 18,624 4,908
1995 20,703 17,573 3,130
1994 13,828 11,775 2,053
1993 9,543 7,509 2,034
1992 6,307 4,123 2,184
1991 5,035 2,908 2,127
1990 8,472 5,672 2,800

Source: U.S. Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Department of Justice.

Last Updated: 11/21/2023
Was this page helpful?
This page was not helpful because the content