About Refugees in Idaho
Idaho entered the refugee resettlement arena in 1975 when Governor John Evans established the Indochinese Refugee Assistance Program in response to the need for all states to participate in the resettlement of refugees fleeing the overthrow of U.S. supported governments in Southeast Asia. While the resettlement effort initially focused on refugees from Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos, it soon expanded in scope to include Eastern European refugees fleeing oppressive regimes of the Soviet era. Over the years, the refugee groups resettling in Idaho have changed and become remarkably diverse, but the essential resettlement experience has remained constant throughout.
Arrival Trends
Since 2015, Idaho has welcomed more than 7,750 people through refugee resettlement and humanitarian programs funded by the Office of Refugee Resettlement.
Arrival numbers fluctuate due to world events, changing federal policies, and the refugee resettlement ceiling determined by the president each year.
Idaho saw a decrease in refugee arrivals in fiscal year 2017 as the presidential determination for the refugee ceiling was lowered. Low arrivals continued through the Covid-19 pandemic.
In recent years, arrival numbers have been higher than average as our state has welcomed more Afghans following the U.S. military withdrawal and Ukrainians following Russia's invasion. Our top country of origin continues to be the Democratic Republic of Congo, where two out of every five refugee arrivals in Idaho are from.
FY2025 Arrivals
In FY2025, Idaho welcomed 468 refugees from 20 countries of origin. We work closely with the three resettlement branches in Idaho: Agency for New Americans and International Rescue Committee in Boise and USCRI in Twin Falls.
We had projected 875 refugee arrivals this fiscal year, which started Oct. 1, 2024. However, a federal suspension of the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program went into effect the week of Jan. 20, 2025, which has largely prohibited approved refugees from traveling to the U.S. Additionally, the Uniting for Ukraine and Welcome Corps sponsorship programs allowing Americans to sponsor refugee arrivals were also suspended.
Idaho saw a decrease in refugee arrivals in fiscal year 2017 as the presidential determination for the refugee ceiling was lowered. Low arrivals continued through the Covid-19 pandemic.
In recent years, arrival numbers have been higher than average as our state has welcomed more Afghans following the U.S. military withdrawal and Ukrainians following Russia's invasion. Our top country of origin continues to be the Democratic Republic of Congo, where two out of every five refugee arrivals in Idaho are from.
FY2025 Arrivals
In FY2025, Idaho welcomed 468 refugees from 20 countries of origin. We work closely with the three resettlement branches in Idaho: Agency for New Americans and International Rescue Committee in Boise and USCRI in Twin Falls.
We had projected 875 refugee arrivals this fiscal year, which started Oct. 1, 2024. However, a federal suspension of the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program went into effect the week of Jan. 20, 2025, which has largely prohibited approved refugees from traveling to the U.S. Additionally, the Uniting for Ukraine and Welcome Corps sponsorship programs allowing Americans to sponsor refugee arrivals were also suspended.
Top Countries of Origin in FY25 |
Top Languages in FY25 |
|
Democratic Republic of Congo (36%)
Afghanistan (32%) Syria (7%) Sudan (4.5%) Venezuela (4%) |
Farsi/Dari/Persian
Swahili Arabic Spanish Kinyarwanda |
What is the Resettlement Experience?
The refugee’s journey is long, arduous and fraught with danger. The culmination of this journey—for those fortunate enough to complete it—is arrival in the community designated for resettlement. This is often a dramatic, emotional and life-changing event. Refugees and their families who are afforded the opportunity to begin a new life in Boise or Twin Falls find themselves in a safe and secure community where they begin a difficult adjustment process. Among the many challenges of becoming Americans are the need to develop new language and work skills, to find jobs that support their families and to manage newfound opportunity and freedom. Eventually, refugees become integrated into Idaho life, participating in and contributing to the social, economic, educational and political mosaic.
Hear from resettled Idahoans
You can hear directly from people from refugee and immigrant backgrounds on our Mosaics podcast to learn about their experiences, cultural perspectives, accomplishments and aspirations, and countries of origin, including:
Integration Outcomes
People from refugee background become vital members of the Idaho community and contribute in many ways, from cultural richness to community leadership to economic vitality.
Refugees come with a range of skills and professional backgrounds, including engineers, doctors, teachers, childcare providers, and cooks. More than 600 Idaho employers hired refugees between 2013 and 2023. Nationwide, former refugees start businesses at a rate of 13%.
Refugees often speak multiple languages, and 83% speak English upon arrival or within one year. That increases to 92% within 10 years.
Within 10 years of arrival, refugees in the U.S. increase their real earnings by 70%. By the time a refugee has been in the country for at least 20 years, their median household income reaches $71,400.
People who arrive in the U.S. through refugee resettlement and asylum contribute nearly $124 billion more in taxes over a 15-year period than they received in public benefits.
More than 70% of refugee arrivals in the U.S. obtain citizenship after 10 years of arrival. That increases to nearly 90% after 20 years of arrival.
Sources: American Immigration Council, 2023; National Foundation for American Policy, 2023; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2024; IOR database
Who are Refugees in Idaho?
A large majority of refugees arriving in Idaho are women and children. Some refugees are highly educated while others have never had the opportunity to attend school. Some were freedom fighters or political activists forced into exile from their home countries; others were violently driven away because they were the “wrong” ethnicity or held religious beliefs that threatened those in power; and others have been targeted and subjected to horrific acts because of their ties to the U.S. government. Every refugee resettled in Idaho has a personal story of persecution, escape and survival.
1980s: Refugees arriving in Idaho during the decade of the 1980s were primarily Southeast Asian and Eastern European. Those coming from Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia were part of the ongoing exodus from the Communist domination of those countries. At the same time, refugees from Soviet-dominated Czechoslovakia, Poland, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria were being resettled in increasing numbers. U.S. refugee policy in the 1980s was undeniable linked to vital foreign policy interests and the Cold War struggle between East and West. By the latter half of the 1980s, these groups were joined by an increasing number of refugees arriving from the Soviet Union, primarily Russians and Ukrainians, many of whom were evangelical Christians oppressed for many decades because of their religious convictions.
Groups from Southeast Asia
1990s: During the 1990s Idaho resettled over 5,000 refugees, more than half of which were from Bosnia and Herzegovina. Civil war, ethnic cleansing and unchecked violence forced millions of Bosnians to flee their homeland, and the subsequent impossibility of return for many led to a major resettlement effort by the U.S. The other half of the refugees arriving in the 1990s originated from other European countries, Africa, East Asia, the Near East, Central Asia and the Caribbean.
2000s: The first half of this decade saw the end of the southern European resettlement due to conflict resolution in that region. At the same time, new refugee crises emerged in the Middle East as a result of U.S. intervention in Iraq. In addition, the U.S. agreed to admit a large group of Bhutanese who had escaped to Nepal along with ethnic minorities from Burma who had long been confined in refugee camps along the Thai-Burmese border. The latter half to the 2000s also saw greater diversification in the nationality of refugees originating from Africa, with people from thirteen different countries comprised a quarter of Idaho’s refugee arrivals. The largest group consisted of refugees from Europe and Central Asia, while growing numbers from Iraq, Iran and Bhutan made up another 25%.
2010s: This decade saw a continuing diversification of refugee groups as the U.S. responded to refugee crises where there was a compelling national interest in offering resettlement opportunities. As of September 2015 there were just over 3,700 refugees living in Idaho who arrived during the six years from 2009 to 2014. Among these refugees and former refugees, about 31% are from Africa, 47% from the Near East and South Asia, and the remainder from seven countries in East Asia (Burma and Vietnam), Central Asia (Afghanistan, Iran and Uzbekistan) and Latin America (Colombia and Cuba). The numbers presented here have been adjusted for out-migration to show an “existing population” and are, therefore, lower than the number of refugee arrivals over the same period. During this decade, an average of 726 refugees resettled in Idaho every year.
2020s: In 2020 President Trump reduced the refugee admissions ceiling to 18,000, the lowest in the U.S. resettlement program’s history (Migration Policy Institute). This coincided with the Covid-19 pandemic, reducing resettlement capacity around the world. In FY2020, refugee admissions dropped to 11,814 nationwide and 216 in Idaho. World Relief, a resettlement agency in Boise, closed down, leaving Idaho with two resettlement agencies in Boise and one in Twin Falls. President Biden restored the admissions ceiling to 62,500 in FY21 and to 125,000 for the following three years. However, it took time for the resettlement infrastructure around the world the rebuild, and U.S. admissions did not reach those ceilings.
Idaho resettlement numbers began to slowly bounce back in FY21 to 362. The following year we saw a large jump in the number of people served due to the situation in Afghanistan when the U.S. military withdrew and Kabul fell back to the hands of the Taliban. In FY22, Idaho resettlement agencies again served a large number of arrivals, almost 1,200, because of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. In both of these circumstances, the U.S. government granted humanitarian parole to eligible Afghans and Ukrainians fleeing the violence and gave approval for them to receive refugee services and benefits. The Ukrainian Welcome Center opened in Nampa and contracts with the Idaho Office for Refugees to assist new arrivals from Ukraine.
Halfway through the 2020s, the large majority of new arrivals are originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Afghanistan, Syria, and Ukraine.
The refugee’s journey is long, arduous and fraught with danger. The culmination of this journey—for those fortunate enough to complete it—is arrival in the community designated for resettlement. This is often a dramatic, emotional and life-changing event. Refugees and their families who are afforded the opportunity to begin a new life in Boise or Twin Falls find themselves in a safe and secure community where they begin a difficult adjustment process. Among the many challenges of becoming Americans are the need to develop new language and work skills, to find jobs that support their families and to manage newfound opportunity and freedom. Eventually, refugees become integrated into Idaho life, participating in and contributing to the social, economic, educational and political mosaic.
Hear from resettled Idahoans
You can hear directly from people from refugee and immigrant backgrounds on our Mosaics podcast to learn about their experiences, cultural perspectives, accomplishments and aspirations, and countries of origin, including:
- Afghanistan
- Bhutan
- Bosnia & Herzegovina
- Democratic Republic of Congo
- Iran
- Uganda
- Ukraine
- Former Yugoslavia
Integration Outcomes
People from refugee background become vital members of the Idaho community and contribute in many ways, from cultural richness to community leadership to economic vitality.
Refugees come with a range of skills and professional backgrounds, including engineers, doctors, teachers, childcare providers, and cooks. More than 600 Idaho employers hired refugees between 2013 and 2023. Nationwide, former refugees start businesses at a rate of 13%.
Refugees often speak multiple languages, and 83% speak English upon arrival or within one year. That increases to 92% within 10 years.
Within 10 years of arrival, refugees in the U.S. increase their real earnings by 70%. By the time a refugee has been in the country for at least 20 years, their median household income reaches $71,400.
People who arrive in the U.S. through refugee resettlement and asylum contribute nearly $124 billion more in taxes over a 15-year period than they received in public benefits.
More than 70% of refugee arrivals in the U.S. obtain citizenship after 10 years of arrival. That increases to nearly 90% after 20 years of arrival.
Sources: American Immigration Council, 2023; National Foundation for American Policy, 2023; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2024; IOR database
Who are Refugees in Idaho?
A large majority of refugees arriving in Idaho are women and children. Some refugees are highly educated while others have never had the opportunity to attend school. Some were freedom fighters or political activists forced into exile from their home countries; others were violently driven away because they were the “wrong” ethnicity or held religious beliefs that threatened those in power; and others have been targeted and subjected to horrific acts because of their ties to the U.S. government. Every refugee resettled in Idaho has a personal story of persecution, escape and survival.
1980s: Refugees arriving in Idaho during the decade of the 1980s were primarily Southeast Asian and Eastern European. Those coming from Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia were part of the ongoing exodus from the Communist domination of those countries. At the same time, refugees from Soviet-dominated Czechoslovakia, Poland, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria were being resettled in increasing numbers. U.S. refugee policy in the 1980s was undeniable linked to vital foreign policy interests and the Cold War struggle between East and West. By the latter half of the 1980s, these groups were joined by an increasing number of refugees arriving from the Soviet Union, primarily Russians and Ukrainians, many of whom were evangelical Christians oppressed for many decades because of their religious convictions.
Groups from Southeast Asia
- Hundreds of thousands fleeing Vietnam by boat
- Amerasians
- Re-Education Camp Detainees
- Hmong and Lowland Lao
- Cambodians from the “Killing Fields”
- Political Dissidents
- Oppressed Workers (Solidarity Movement in Poland)
- Persecuted Christians and Jews from the Soviet Union
1990s: During the 1990s Idaho resettled over 5,000 refugees, more than half of which were from Bosnia and Herzegovina. Civil war, ethnic cleansing and unchecked violence forced millions of Bosnians to flee their homeland, and the subsequent impossibility of return for many led to a major resettlement effort by the U.S. The other half of the refugees arriving in the 1990s originated from other European countries, Africa, East Asia, the Near East, Central Asia and the Caribbean.
- Bosnian Muslims subjected to ethnic cleansing and genocide
- Croatian Serbs caught up in border conflicts and territorial disputes
- Roma who were caught in the conflict ensuing from the breakup of Yugoslavia
- Ethnic Albanians from Kosovo
2000s: The first half of this decade saw the end of the southern European resettlement due to conflict resolution in that region. At the same time, new refugee crises emerged in the Middle East as a result of U.S. intervention in Iraq. In addition, the U.S. agreed to admit a large group of Bhutanese who had escaped to Nepal along with ethnic minorities from Burma who had long been confined in refugee camps along the Thai-Burmese border. The latter half to the 2000s also saw greater diversification in the nationality of refugees originating from Africa, with people from thirteen different countries comprised a quarter of Idaho’s refugee arrivals. The largest group consisted of refugees from Europe and Central Asia, while growing numbers from Iraq, Iran and Bhutan made up another 25%.
2010s: This decade saw a continuing diversification of refugee groups as the U.S. responded to refugee crises where there was a compelling national interest in offering resettlement opportunities. As of September 2015 there were just over 3,700 refugees living in Idaho who arrived during the six years from 2009 to 2014. Among these refugees and former refugees, about 31% are from Africa, 47% from the Near East and South Asia, and the remainder from seven countries in East Asia (Burma and Vietnam), Central Asia (Afghanistan, Iran and Uzbekistan) and Latin America (Colombia and Cuba). The numbers presented here have been adjusted for out-migration to show an “existing population” and are, therefore, lower than the number of refugee arrivals over the same period. During this decade, an average of 726 refugees resettled in Idaho every year.
2020s: In 2020 President Trump reduced the refugee admissions ceiling to 18,000, the lowest in the U.S. resettlement program’s history (Migration Policy Institute). This coincided with the Covid-19 pandemic, reducing resettlement capacity around the world. In FY2020, refugee admissions dropped to 11,814 nationwide and 216 in Idaho. World Relief, a resettlement agency in Boise, closed down, leaving Idaho with two resettlement agencies in Boise and one in Twin Falls. President Biden restored the admissions ceiling to 62,500 in FY21 and to 125,000 for the following three years. However, it took time for the resettlement infrastructure around the world the rebuild, and U.S. admissions did not reach those ceilings.
Idaho resettlement numbers began to slowly bounce back in FY21 to 362. The following year we saw a large jump in the number of people served due to the situation in Afghanistan when the U.S. military withdrew and Kabul fell back to the hands of the Taliban. In FY22, Idaho resettlement agencies again served a large number of arrivals, almost 1,200, because of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. In both of these circumstances, the U.S. government granted humanitarian parole to eligible Afghans and Ukrainians fleeing the violence and gave approval for them to receive refugee services and benefits. The Ukrainian Welcome Center opened in Nampa and contracts with the Idaho Office for Refugees to assist new arrivals from Ukraine.
Halfway through the 2020s, the large majority of new arrivals are originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Afghanistan, Syria, and Ukraine.
Idaho Office for refugees |
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