Statistics as recent as 2007 published by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) have enabled Aramica to put together detailed information on recent Arabic immigration to the United States.

Taken together, the statistics show that legal immigration from Arabic countries to the United States is only getting stronger. After a dip following 9/11, more persons from Arabic countries are being naturalized (becoming citizens) or granted legal permanent resident status (LPR -- “Green Card” holders) year on year.

Almost 25 percent more immigrants from 13 Arabic countries initially applied and were granted LPR status in 2007(a total of 34,160) than seven years before (just over 27,000). While there are variations between the years, the overall trend is decidedly an increase.

From this initial 13, eight countries show the strongest rate of immigration to the United States. They are Egypt, Iraq, Morocco, Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, Yemen and Algeria. Palestine is not recognized as a sovereign nation by the United States so immigrants from Palestine are not identified on the DHS statistics, and represent a serious omission from these findings.

With detailed profiles on immigrant populations divided by country of birth, the statistics also shed light on where newer immigrants are settling and what professions they are entering.

An ever-increasing flow of immigrants

Between 1998 and 2007, the top three countries of origin of Arab-born immigrants to be naturalized were Lebanon, Egypt and Iraq, at an average of more than 30,000 people per country.

During the same period, 60,000 people from Egypt became LPRs, while 40,000 came from Morocco, Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq.

What this overview does not reveal is how much the rate of immigration is speeding up every year. A vertiginous increase in the rate of immigration from Egypt (more than twice as many became LPRs in the year 2006 than did so six years before) is a trend that applies to a lesser degree to other Arabic countries. The LPR flow from Lebanon increased from 3,000 in 2003 to more than 4,000 four years later.

A steady increase is also true for the rate of naturalization, especially from Morocco. Some 2,500 people of Moroccan ancestry were naturalized 2007 compared with less than 500 in 1998.

But these figures mask how many new Arab-born immigrants are actually entering the United States. Many new LPRs may have already lived in the country for some time and are merely upgrading their immigration status. In 2006, of 37,020 Arab-born new LPRs only half were new arrivals.

From two countries, however, come a conspicuous number of newcomers. Almost 80 percent of Yemen-born LPRs were total newcomers to the United States, as were 70 percent of Oman-born LPRs. This does not necessarily mean the appearance of totally new communities, but the rapid expansion of existing ones. A majority of these LPRs did so because of family ties to United States residents or citizens.

The path to America

There are several categories under which preference is given to immigration cases, based on the Immigration and Nationality Act., preference is given to foreign nationals who have a close family relationship with a United States citizen or LPR, who have needed job skills, who are from countries with relatively low levels of immigration to the United States, or who have refugee or asylum status.

Throughout the Arab American community, the statistics show family-sponsored preferences to have been the surest path to LPR status, particularly for Jordanian, Lebanese and Yemeni American communities. In 2006, as many as 60 percent of people born in the top eight countries became LPRs under family-sponsored preferences or as immediate relatives, compared to a yearly average of 40 percent for all other nations.

For North African countries the “diversity” preference has been a solid path to LPR status. Since 2002 more than 2,000 Moroccans and 300 Algerians per year have immigrated under this measure. If Morocco continues on its trend, it could soon be reaching the 3,850 annual ‘diversity’-immigrant quota per country, which Egypt almost already reaches.

At 10 percent, a higher percentage of Lebanon-born immigrants became LPRs through employment-based preferences in 2006 than from any other Arabic nation, although Syria was not far behind at 7 percent. The other of the top eight averaged only 5 percent under this preference.

More than half of all Iraqis becoming LPRs each year since 2002 have done so through adjusting their refugee or asylum status. However, the statistics on asylum approvals show that almost as many Egyptians have been granted asylum since 1998 (a total of 3,074), as Iraqis (a total of 3,253).

In fact, data from TRAC (Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse), which ranks countries in order of the rate of denial for asylum seekers to the United States between the years 2000 and 2005, puts Iraq at number 80 (out of 100, with the highest rate of denial at number 1), and Egypt at number 93, making it statistically more likely to enter the United States as an Egyptian asylum seeker than an Iraqi one.

Communities strengthened

Given that family ties are the biggest pull of immigration to the United States, immigration centered on established areas of settlement is to be expected. From 2002 to 2006, Arabic-born immigrants were based in four top states: California, New York, Michigan and New Jersey, where clear communities of different nationalities can be seen. Egyptians continue to be overwhelmingly based in the metropolitan areas of California, New Jersey and New York; Iraqis in Michigan; Lebanese in Michigan and California; Syrians in California; Moroccans in New York.

Living, working

The DHS does not know the profession of the majority of Arab-born immigrants from the top eight. Their category falls predominately between “management and professional” or “no occupation/not working outside home.” Less than 5 percent are recorded as working in the service industry.

Given the low rate of employment-sponsored preferences as a means of entry into the United States, the strong rate of professionals is an encouraging sign of the success of the Arabic immigrant population.

A negligible amount of immigrants recorded as going into the military should be noted if only for its conspicuity. Of the naturalized citizens in 2006, 11 Iraqis, 13 Moroccans and 16 Egyptians were counted as entering the United States military. The other countries of the top eight did not record a zero, but a “D,” meaning data withheld to prevent disclosure.

The professional characteristics of these immigrants reflect a young population. More than 60 percent of all LPRs from the top eight in 2006 were recorded as being between 25 and 44 years old, with as much as 80 percent of Moroccan immigrants coming under this age bracket. Almost 50 percent of Yemen-born naturalized citizens in 2006 were under the age of 18.

The bigger picture

The steady increase of immigration from Arabic countries follows the general pattern of immigration to the United States. The number of people who became citizens or were given LPR status in the year 2007 (more than 1.7 million) was about 50 percent higher than in 1998.

In 2007, 1.5 million applications for naturalization were made, and 1 million cases were pending adjudication at USCIS (United States Citizenship and Immigration Services) by the end of the year. This was twice the number filed in 2006, and has been reduced partly because of a looming increase in the fee to file the petition.

California and New York are preferred by other nationalities as well as by Arab-born immigrants, although Florida represents a significant base for non-Arab immigrants, who are largely absent from Michigan.