The International Institute sponsored 611 refugees in 2013. They joined more than 8,000 immigrants and refugees who received services at the institute in 2012.
More than 30 percent of refugee arrivals were Bhutanese who have been living in refugee camps in Nepal. Another 30 percent were Somali. The bulk of the Iraqi and Afghan families included members who had worked overseas for the U.S. Armed Forces.
“Refugees are a valuable source of new population and diversity for the St. Louis region,” said Anna Crosslin, president & CEO of the International Institute. “Although the number of arrivals may seem small, these new arrivals can serve as a catalyst to draw more refugees who have been resettled elsewhere in the U.S.”
A notable example of this secondary migration is the story of the Bosnians, who have helped rebuild many St. Louis neighborhoods in the past two decades. While the institute sponsored almost 7,000 Bosnians between 1993 and 2001, the population in St. Louis, including American-born children, is estimated at 70,000 by institute officials.
According to a recent study, St. Louis’ population is 19th in the nation among metropolitan areas but 43rd in the nation in terms of immigrant residents.
“If we expect to become a more competitive global economic center, we need more immigrants,” said Crosslin. “And right now, resettling refugees is one of the most attractive ways to build more diversity in St. Louis.”