How Houston Becomes Home for Refugees

Andrew Kragie of the Houston Chronicle talks to the Standard about refugee resettlement efforts in Texas’ largest city.

By Hady MawajdehSeptember 7, 2015 8:41 am

This story is part one of a five-part Gray Matters series, City of Refugees.

The Syrian civil war has created the worst refugee crisis in the world.

Millions are fleeing Syria or are displaced inside of the country. The ones that made it out are seeking asylum and many will end up in European nations like Germany or Greece.

But there’s a good chance that some of these Syrians will end up in Texas.

Since the U.S. takes in seven out of 10 refugees from the United Nations’ referred list, about 10 percent of them will end up in the Lone Star State, according to the State Department figures.

Cities like Dallas, Fort Worth and Houston shoulder the largest share of refugees entering the state. Reporter Andrew Kragie is working on a series about refugees in Texas for the Houston Chronicle. Part 2 of the five-part series will debut today.

Kragie talks to the Standard from Texas Public Radio in San Antonio about the people he profiled and why Texas has become a hub for refugee resettlement.

Audio will be available shortly.