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Please note!
This fact brief was originally published as an experiment to test the concepts behind fact briefs.
Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of useful information in fact briefs like this one, not all of them reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.

Does the United States accept asylum seekers at higher rates than other countries?

By Emanuela Podda Ankrom
NO

Forty-nine countries accept more asylees and refugees than the U.S., according to United Nations data compiled by the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank. Cato looked at the net increase in admitted applicants relative to population between 2012 and 2017. "The average rate of acceptance for the top 50 countries was 1.2% of its population—six times higher than the U.S. rate," Cato noted.

The U.N. in 2019 counted 4.2 million asylum-seekers worldwide. The U.S. accepted 301,000 new applications for asylum, the largest number of any country in absolute terms. Peru, with a tenth of the U.S.'s population, accepted 259,800 new claims, ranking second in absolute terms.

Advocates argue the U.S. should allow in many more displaced people, citing both economic benefits and enhanced national security, fostering positive views amid extremist claims about U.S. power.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR
Between 2020 and 2022, under close editorial supervision, Gigafact contracted a group of freelance writers and editors to test the concepts for fact briefs and provide inputs to our software development process. We call this effort Gigafact Foundry. Over the course of these two years, Gigafact Foundry writers published over 1500 fact briefs in response to claims they found online. Their important work forms the basis of Gigafact formats and editorial guidelines, and is available to the public on Gigafact.org. Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of relevant information to be found, not all fact briefs produced by Gigafact Foundry reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date and need to be looked at with fresh eyes, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
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