Not Surprised? African Immigration In America Has Doubled Since 2000

11.03.2015 | News | Surge Wire |

Immigration from Africa has more than doubled in the U.S. since the turn of the century, according a report from Pew Research Center.

U.S. Census Data shows that 1.8 million African immigrants lived in the U.S. in 2013 — more than double the 881,000 in 2000. The rate has steadily doubled each decade since 1970 when just 80,000 foreign-born Africans lived in America.

Africans today make up 32 percent of refugee arrivals in the U.S., according the Department Of State’s Refugee Processing Center. Nigeria, Ethiopia and Egypt make up the largest populations with around 200,000 migrants each.

The largest factor in the increase is the Refugee Act of 1980, which made immigration significantly easier for people fleeing countries of war. The Diversity Immigrant Visa, commonly referred to as the Green Card Lottery, has also contributed to the rise since nations such as Ghana and the Democratic Republic of Congo are favored.

Maryland’s number of Africa-born residents stands out with over 120,000 despite its small population. The only other states with more than 100,000 African refugees are New York, California and Texas.

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