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Table 19. Individuals Granted Asylum Defensively by Region and Country of Nationality: Fiscal Years 2016 to 2018

The 2018 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 19. Individuals Granted Asylum Defensively by Region of Nationality: Fiscal Years 2016 to 2018
Region of Nationality201620172018
   Total8,72810,66313,248
Africa1,2971,5371,618
Asia4,2654,3365,685
Europe488532704
North America2,5494,0264,892
Oceania-DD
South America116DD
Unknown131911

 

Table 19. Individuals Granted Asylum Defensively by Country of Nationality: Fiscal Years 2016 to 2018
Country of Nationality201620172018
   Total8,72810,66313,248
Afghanistan232828
Albania85115167
Angola71119
ArgentinaD-D
Armenia173760
AzerbaijanD1421
Bangladesh91119289
Belarus252739
BeninDD-
Bosnia and HerzegovinaDDD
Brazil5922
Bulgaria6D4
Burkina Faso717863
Burma15914
Burundi282022
Cambodia--D
Cameroon114221316
Canada5DD
Central African RepublicD711
Chad4108
China, People's Republic3,1082,7953,061
Colombia243739
Congo, Democratic Republic83150
Congo, Republic322339
Cote d'Ivoire161922
Cuba762161
DjiboutiD116
Dominican Republic878
Ecuador4177119
Egypt148141164
El Salvador7641,3551,786
Eritrea149239272
Ethiopia181154123
Fiji-DD
Gambia443133
Georgia91110
Ghana657435
Guatemala6369531,021
Guinea497988
Haiti279351
Honduras6189561,188
India315470956
Indonesia91219
Iran575153
Iraq264574
Israel-DD
Jamaica7810
JordanDD7
Kazakhstan183025
Kenya101423
Kosovo193031
Kyrgyzstan503764
Laos--D
Lebanon648
Liberia9811
MacedoniaD56
Mali253133
Mauritania122013
Mexico455557629
Moldova323040
Mongolia8917
Nepal262292468
Nicaragua192835
NigerD4D
Nigeria667053
Pakistan7194132
Peru171926
PhilippinesDD11
Romania373843
Russia8058119
Rwanda192238
Saudi Arabia7109
Senegal72312
Serbia and Montenegro (former)172818
Sierra Leone51121
Somalia1528942
South Africa-DD
Soviet Union (former)130117107
Sri Lanka334258
Sudan242625
Syria78144156
Tajikistan10615
TogoD1311
Turkey41226
TurkmenistanD49
Uganda152029
Ukraine4868106
Uzbekistan153250
Venezuela2767121
VietnamDD6
Yemen9422
ZimbabweD1313
All other countries 1435463
Unknown 2131911

D Data withheld to limit disclosure.
- Represents zero.
1 Includes countries with fewer than 10 individuals granted asylum defensively per year.
2 Includes admissions from Palestinian Territory.
Note: In this table, data are withheld for any cell with a count of 1, 2, or 3, and for any associated cell that could be used to reveal such a count through calculation.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice.

Last Updated: 01/06/2020
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