Immigration from the Middle East: Report Shows Rapid Growth, Shift from Christian to Muslim Immigration

8/15/2002

From: Steven A. Camarota of the Center for Immigration Studies, 202-466-8185, e-mail: sac@cis.org

WASHINGTON, Aug. 14 -- In the aftermath of September 11, there has been heightened interest in the Middle Eastern immigrant population living in the United States, and its successful integration into American society is increasingly seen as important.

A new report from the Center for Immigration Studies is the first to examine the size, growth and characteristics of this population, based on recently released data. "Immigrants from the Middle East: A Profile of the Foreign-Born Population from Pakistan to Morocco," by Steven A. Camarota, the Center's Director of Research, is available at http://www.cis.org/articles/2002/back902.html.

The Center has also released an essay by Daniel Pipes and Khalid Duran, "Muslim Immigrants in the United States," on line at http://www.cis.org/articles/2002/back802.html.

Among the findings in "Immigrants from the Middle East":

-- The religious composition of Middle Eastern immigrants has changed dramatically over the years. In 1970 an estimated 15 percent (29,000) of immigrants from the region were Muslims, by 2000 an estimated 73 percent (1.1 million) of all Middle Eastern immigrants were Muslim.

-- Middle Easterners are one of the fastest growing immigrant groups in America. While the size of the overall immigrant population (legal and illegal) has tripled since 1970, the number of immigrants from the Middle East has grown more than seven-fold, from less than 200,000 in 1970 to nearly 1.5 million in 2000.

-- The INS last estimated that 150,000, or about 10 percent, of Middle Eastern immigrants are illegal aliens; preliminary Census Bureau estimates show a similar number.

-- Interest in coming to the United States remains very strong in the Middle East. Even after September 11, the State Department received some 1.5 million applications from the region for the visa lottery, which awards 50,000 green cards to those who win a random drawing.

-- Assuming no change in immigration policy, 1.1 million new immigrants (legal and illegal) from the Middle East are projected to settle in the U.S. by 2010.

"The change in the religious composition of Middle Eastern immigration is a fascinating social phenomenon," said Camarota. "It illustrates how our immigration system, which admits people primarily based on whether they have a relative here or if they win the visa lottery, creates social forces and trends that would have been entirely unexpected a generation ago." Camarota also pointed out that "Given their strong interest in Middle East politics, absent a change in U.S. immigration policy, continued Mideast immigration appears likely to lead to changes in U.S. policy toward the Arab-Israeli conflict as elected officials respond to this population s growing electoral importance."

Other findings:

-- California has the largest Middle Eastern immigrant population with nearly 400,000. Of states with the most Mideast immigrants, Virginia has the fastest growing population, followed by Texas, Michigan, and New York.

-- Middle Eastern immigrants are one of the most educated immigrant groups in America. In 2000, 49 percent had at least a bachelor s degree, compared to 28 percent of natives.

-- There is little evidence of systematic discrimination in the job market against the group. In 2000, median earnings for Middle Eastern immigrant men were $39,000, slightly higher than the $38,000 for natives.

-- While many Middle Easterners are well educated and prosperous, a significant share are poor and use the welfare system. In 2000, nearly one in five Middle Eastern immigrants and their young children lived in poverty, compared to about one in ten natives, and 23 percent used at least one major welfare program, compared to only 15 percent of natives.

-- Middle Easterners have a high rate of citizenship, with 55 percent holding American citizenship, compared to 38 percent of immigrants overall.

-- While only 10 percent of immigrants are self-employed compared to 11 percent of natives, 19 percent Middle East immigrants operate their own businesses.

Policy discussion. With a total illegal alien population estimated at 8 to 9 million, violations of immigration laws are certainly very common. However, there is no evidence that Middle Easterners violate immigration laws at rates higher than other groups. The settlement of 1 million new Mideast immigrants by 2010 will overwhelmingly be the result of legal immigration. Of course, legal immigration can be changed. For example, recently proposed legislation to eliminate the visa lottery would reduce Middle Eastern immigration because a significant number of Mideast immigrants have been using it to receive their green cards. Alternatively, an amnesty for illegal aliens would increase Mideast immigration by creating more legal immigrants who could then sponsor their relatives.

In the future, we must avoid calls to single out Middle Eastern immigration. Reducing legal immigration may well make sense, but it should be applied fairly to all groups. The same goes for efforts to deal with illegal immigration. Given limited resources at a time when Middle Easterners have played a prominent role in attacks on the United States, it makes sense to more vigorously pursue Middle Easterners who violation immigration laws in the short-term. But as a long-term policy this would be unfair. The law must be enforced for all persons, not just those from one particular part of the world.

The Center for Immigration Studies is a non-profit, non-partisan research organization. It is not affiliated with any other organization.