Refugee Resettlement Watch - Ann Corcoran: Top ten languages spoken by refugees to America in last seven fiscal years; Arabic is #1 - "Just a reminder that it will be your local government and state that will be responsible for providing (paying for!) interpreters in schools, health departments and the criminal justice system as these refugees are resettled in your towns and cities."

Top ten languages spoken by refugees to America in last seven fiscal years; Arabic is #1

Fiscal year 2014 just ended on September 30th, so this is a good time to visit the Refugee Processing Center where statistics are managed for the US State Department. Shortly the 2014 year-end stats will disappear down a black hole, so visit Admissions and Arrival reports now! (FY2015 stats for the first month of this new fiscal year will appear shortly after the end of October.)

Just a reminder that it will be your local government and state that will be responsible for providing (paying for!) interpreters in schools, health departments and the criminal justice system as these refugees are resettled in your towns and cities.

Here are the top languages spoken by refugees who arrived in the US in FY2008 – FY2014 (and be sure to note the number speaking ‘minor’ languages):

1 Arabic 91,040

2 Nepali 78,862

3 Sgaw Karen 36,419

4 Somali 34,632

5 Spanish 27,814

6 Chaldean 15,694

7 Burmese 12,248

8 Armenian 12,066

9 Kayah 10,384

10 Other Minor Languages 9,448

Total 328,607

http://refugeeresettlementwatch.wordpress.com/2014/10/26/top-ten-languages-spoken-by-refugees-to-america-in-last-seven-fiscal-years-arabic-is-1/