The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) defines a refugee as a person who flees his or her country and is unwilling or unable to return due to a well-founded fear.  This fear is based on persecution for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or for political opinion.  Though the United States has a long history of providing asylum for displaced persons, the refugee program officially began with the Refugee Act of 1980, which provided the legal framework for the United States’ admissions program and set federal standards for resettlement services. Refugees account for the majority of those resettled in Tennessee and in the United States who are eligible for ORR services.  They can adjust their status to Legal Permanent Resident (LPR) after one year and naturalize to U.S. Citizenship after five years in the U.S.

For more information and statistics regarding Tennessee’s refugee arrivals, please visit our Resources page.

Quick Facts:

• According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) 2010 Global Trends report, there are currently 43.7 million people displaced worldwide.
• More than 2 million refugees have arrived in the US since the Refugee Act of 1980 was established.
• Though refugees with 65 different nationalities were resettled in the US, the three largest refugee populations resettled both nationally and in Tennessee in 2011 come from Iraq, Burma, and Bhutan.  These three comprise 64% of all refugees arriving in the US.
• In 2011, over 1,100 refugees were resettled in Tennessee.

Facts compiled from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).  Please visit the Resources section for more information.