Press Release
☷New HHS Study Finds Nearly $124 Billion Positive Fiscal Impact of Refugees and Asylees on the American Economy in a 15 Year Period
Administration for Children and Families ( By Press Release office)
Feb 17,2024
| 10| 1
Today , the U . S . Department of Health and Human Services ' Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation ( ASPE ) released a groundbreaking report called "The Fiscal Impact of Refugees and Asylees at The Federal , State and Local Levels From 2005 - 2019 . " This report takes a close look at how refugees and asylees have affected the U . S . government and economy financially . It highlights the important contributions that refugees and asylees have made to the U . S . economy and society . The findings of this report can help guide decisions on resettlement services and add to existing research on the positive effects of refugees in American communities . HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra stated , "This federal study provides solid evidence that over time , refugees , asylees , and their families have made significant positive contributions to our country . I hope this report becomes an important resource for decision - makers at all levels of government when it comes to refugee resettlement . " Robin Dunn Marcos , HHS Deputy Assistant Secretary for Humanitarian Services and Director of the Office of Refugee Resettlement , added , "We run this program because our country is committed to supporting the needs of those fleeing persecution in their home countries . We have seen for years the valuable contributions that refugees and asylees bring to our communities and workplaces . This report confirms our mission and commitment , and we should celebrate these contributions , along with others made by refugees and asylees to our country . " Some key findings include: Refugees and asylees had a positive financial impact on the U . S . government during the 15 - year period studied , totaling $123 . 8 billion . The federal government benefited by $31 . 5 billion , while state and local governments benefited by $92 . 3 billion . When compared to the entire U . S . population , refugees and asylees had a similar financial impact per person . Refugees and asylees contributed an estimated $581 billion in revenue to all levels of government through taxes . They contributed $363 billion to the federal government through payroll , income , and excise taxes , and $218 billion to state and local governments through income , sales , and property taxes . Governmental expenditures on refugees and asylees over the 15 - year period were estimated at $457 . 2 billion . Of this total , the federal government accounted for 72 . 5% ( $331 . 5 billion ) and state and local governments accounted for 27 . 5% ( $125 . 7 billion ) . It ' s important to note that this study does not consider the full lifetime costs and benefits of refugees and asylees , nor does it estimate the impact based on different regions or duration of time in the U . S . Instead of focusing on age , it looks at the overall impact over a set period of time . The analysis shows how U . S . humanitarian programs for new arrivals have positive long - term effects on government budgets , despite the initial costs . Miranda Lynch - Smith , Deputy Assistant Secretary for Human Services Policy , ASPE , said the report sheds light on the financial benefits of helping new humanitarian arrivals . This research could lead to further studies on the impact of different refugee and asylee groups based on factors like their origin , time in the U . S . , or age upon resettlement . HHS is dedicated to providing all new arrivals with fair and high - quality support to help them succeed in the U . S .
PLAY the NEWS
* May be useful for visually impaired persons .
Press release information:
Direct link to press release:
Click here .
