According to numbers we just recieved from the US State Department, Maryland beats the national average in the resettlement of Muslim refugees. From 2002 through 2007 (to date) Maryland has been the resettlement destination of 1,556 Muslim refugees out of a total refugee pool of 3,979. Muslims thus represented 39% of the refugee population for those years. The national average from 1990 to 2003 was 15%, with peak year 1999 (44%). (We have not obtained national averages for more recent years.)
The statistics received from WRAPS (Worldwide Refugee Application Processing System)*, indicated that of the remaining 2,423 refugees in that time period 22 other religions were represented. This group of refugees hailed from 42 differant countries.
My home county (Washington Co.) received 125 Muslim refugees out of 168 total refugees since 2004 when resettlement began in earnest. That puts us at 74% Muslim refugees resettled.
* What is WRAPS? Here is what they say at their website http://www.wrapsnet.org/
The Refugee Processing Center (RPC) is operated by the U.S Department of State (DOS) Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM) in the Rosslyn section of Arlington, Virginia USA.
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At the RPC and at Overseas Processing Entities (OPEs), an interactive computer system called the Worldwide Refugee Admissions Processing System (WRAPS) is used to process and track the movement of refugees from various countries around the world to the U.S. for resettlement under the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP).
Try contacting WRAPS and find out what is happening in your state or city. E-mail help@wrapsnet.org and see what response you get. Then let us know!