World Relief Issues Statement as Department of State Releases Final FY 2026 Refugee Arrival Numbers, Confirms Zero Christians from Top Countries Known for Persecution Resettled

Five individuals resettled in FY2026 not from South Africa confirmed not to be religious minorities 

Contact: Lauren Rasmussen, media@wr.org, 802.310.4255

BALTIMORE, Md. – Yesterday, the Department of State’s Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration released the refugee arrivals data for the last month of Fiscal Year 2026, confirming that no Christian refugees were resettled in the U.S. from the top countries identified as the worst offenders for persecution of Christians by Open Doors’ World Watch List.  

Aerlande Wontamo, senior vice president of U.S. programs at World Relief, issued the following statement: 

“September’s refugee arrival numbers confirmed what we believed and feared to be true: Fiscal Year 2026 was the first year on record in which the U.S. failed to resettle any Christian refugees fleeing persecution. While we firmly believe that refugee protection should never be limited to one faith group, whether persecuted Christians are resettled is a bellwether of the direction of the resettlement program at large. For a country founded by immigrants fleeing oppressive regimes to worship freely to shut the door on refugees with a credible fear of persecution on account of their faith, we have reached a milestone of which we must be ashamed. The Presidential Determination on Refugee Admissions for Fiscal Year 2027 suggests a doubling down in the same direction, and we urge the administration and Congress to reverse course, setting again a refugee ceiling consistent with the first Trump administration.” 

To learn more about World Relief, visit worldrelief.org.