WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The study said that the Syrian immigrant population of 86,000 only represents 0.2 percent of the US foreign-born population and many of them are older, more educated and more likely to work in high-skilled occupations such as health care, education, retail and social assistance.
“The majority of Syrian immigrants come to the United States through family reunification channels rather than as refugees or asylum seekers or through employment-based channels,” the study read on Tuesday.
The report was released as the ongoing conflict in Syria has forced four million people to flee since 2011, causing a massive migrant crisis throughout Europe and other countries.
In September, President Barack Obama announced his plan to resettle 10,000 Syrian refugees in the United States in 2016, but after the terrorist attacks in Paris on November 13, US lawmakers and state governors quickly warned they would not allow in any refugees.
