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E.g., 06/28/2022
Country Resource - Syria
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Syria

SY
  • Population.......................................................................................... 20,384,316 (July 2021 est.)
  • Population growth rate...................................................................................... 5.32% (2021 est.)
  • Birth rate........................................................................ 23.25 births/1,000 population (2021 est.)
  • Death rate...................................................................... 4.36 deaths/1,000 population (2021 est.)
  • Net migration rate........................................ 34.34 migrant(s)/1,000 population NA (2021 est.)
  • Ethnic groups...................................... Arab ~50%, Alawite ~15%, Kurd ~10%, Levantine ~10%, other ~15% (includes Druze, Ismaili, Imami, Nusairi, Assyrian, Turkoman, Armenian)

Note: Approximately 22,900 Israeli settlers live in the Golan Heights (2018)

CIA World Factbook

Recent Activity

Mother and daughter from Middle Eastern background
Spotlight
January 13, 2022
Middle Eastern and North African Immigrants in the United States

Migration from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region to the United States doubled between 2000 and 2019, yet these immigrants represented less than 3 percent of the overall U.S. foreign-born population as of 2019. MENA immigrants are more likely than other immigrants to be English proficient, have a college degree, and work in management, business, science, and arts occupations.

A child walks by a destroyed building in Syria.
Feature
March 4, 2021
Violent Encounters and Social Status Shape the Conditions for Migrants Fleeing Civil War

Millions of people flee civil wars for safety elsewhere, but predicting precisely when refugees and asylum seekers will be displaced is not as easy as it seems. There is not always a direct correlation between episodes of violence and patterns of migration. This article explores how civilians require both motivation and opportunity to leave conflict zones.

A family from Syria walks through the town of Wächtersbach, Germany, where they now live.
Feature
January 7, 2021
Faith and Mental Health Help Shape the Integration of Muslim Refugees in Germany

Faith plays a significant role in the mental health and social integration of refugees and asylum seekers. Yet in Germany, concerns about Islam and migrants from Muslim-majority countries have complicated social cohesion efforts, particularly in the wake of the 2015-16 refugee and migration crisis.

Turkish and EU flags
Feature
March 20, 2020
Amid an Unfolding Humanitarian Crisis in Syria, the European Union Faces the Perils of Devolving Migration Management to Turkey

The high-stakes gambit taken by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to allow tens of thousands of asylum seekers and migrants free movement to the Greek border demonstrated the fragility of the EU-Turkey deal and the European Union's broader approach to outsource migration management to third countries. This article examines the causes for the tensions, the EU approach to external partnerships, and a hardening European attitude towards unwanted arrivals.

Syrian refugees in Lebanon
Feature
February 21, 2019
A Fragile Situation: Will the Syrian Refugee Swell Push Lebanon Over the Edge?

Lebanon is home to more refugees per capita than any other country. The arrival of approximately 1 million refugees from neighboring Syria has created tensions not only with the native population, but also with long-established Palestinian refugee communities in Lebanon. A lack of integration and resources, plus a complex domestic context, suggest further hardship may lie ahead for recent and earlier-arrived refugees alike.

A man holds a sign protesting the travel ban at an airport
Policy Beat
January 31, 2019
The Travel Ban at Two: Rocky Implementation Settles into Deeper Impacts

Two years after the Trump administration’s much-litigated travel ban was created, the policy has demonstrated a significant impact on the admission of foreigners from the banned countries, while also reshaping U.S. security vetting procedures and the refugee resettlement process in enduring ways, as this article explores on the second-year anniversary.

EgyptianWoman BenPiven Flickr
Spotlight
January 10, 2018
Middle Eastern and North African Immigrants in the United States

In 2016, nearly 1.2 million immigrants from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region lived in the United States. MENA immigration has picked up in recent decades, owing to war and worsening economic prospects. This article offers the latest data on the MENA population in the United States, which is more likely to come via humanitarian routes and less likely via family reunification than the foreign-born population overall.

 

A Syrian refugee woman uses a special e-card to purchase food at a grocery store in Turkey.
Feature
August 9, 2017
Thinking Outside the Camp: Syrian Refugees in Istanbul

Turkey has been on the frontlines of the Syrian refugee crisis from the beginning. The vast majority of Turkey's nearly 3.2 million Syrian asylum seekers live in cities, putting pressure on the limited resources and legal authority of local governments to serve them. This article examines Istanbul's creative approaches to meeting the needs of this vulnerable population while balancing the concerns of local citizens.

SyriansDallas CNeukum IRC
Spotlight
January 12, 2017
Syrian Refugees in the United States

More than 18,000 Syrian refugees have been resettled in the United States since civil war broke out in Syria in 2011. Nearly half of Syrian refugees are under age 14, and this population is more dispersed geographically across the country than the overall Syrian immigrant population. This article offers a demographic profile of Syrian refugees, including age, gender, language, and religion, as well as top state and city destinations.

SyrianFamily MohamedAzakir WorldBank
Policy Beat
September 28, 2016
U.S. Meets 2016 Syrian Refugee Admission Goal; Opposition to New Resettlement Mounts

With weeks to spare, the Obama administration met its goal of resettling 10,000 Syrian refugees by the end of September 2016, and announced plans to increase the overall refugee ceiling to 110,000 in fiscal 2017. However, opposition continues to mount in Congress, statehouses, and on the campaign trail, with Republicans citing security concerns in calling for lower numbers or additional screening, as this article explores.

Pages
coverthumb_bridge fimer ground
Reports
March 2021

A Bridge to Firmer Ground: Learning from International Experiences to Support Pathways to Solutions in the Syrian Refugee Context

Ten years into Syria's conflict, Syrians remain the largest refugee population worldwide. As they face limited prospects for resettlement or safe return, how can host countries and donors promote resilience for refugees and host communities alike? This report offers examples of creative policy solutions in the areas of protection, social protection, education, livelihoods, and health care from displacement contexts in 16 countries.

Pages from Covers Sirin Rogers
Reports
October 2015

The Educational and Mental Health Needs of Syrian Refugee Children

Approximately 40 percent of the 4 million-plus Syrians who have fled the country are under age 12, most encountering disruptions and barriers to their education in countries of first asylum. This report examines the experiences of Syrian refugee children, their educational and mental health needs,and possible responses that governments should consider in resettling this vulnerable population.

coverthumb TCM Protection Syrians
Reports
April 2015

Syrian Refugees in Turkey: The Long Road Ahead

More than 1.7 million Syrian refugees lived in Turkey as of mid-March 2015, making this the world's largest community of Syrians displaced by the conflict in their country. This report provides an overview of Turkey's changing migration landscape and the position of Syrian refugees in Turkey today, along with policy recommendations given the likelihood of long-term or permanent displacement for Syrians.
coverthumb Syrian Factsheet
Fact Sheets
November 2015

Profile of Syrian Immigrants in the United States

Approximately 86,000 Syrian immigrants resided in the United States in 2014, including 2,261 resettled refugees. This fact sheet provides information on the Syrian immigrant population in the United States, focusing on its size, socioeconomic characteristics, and geographic distribution.