Maine resettled close to 700 people through the federal refugee admissions program during the fiscal year that ended last month. That's the highest number on record going back over a decade.
The top countries of origin for refugees coming to Maine include the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Syria, and Venezuela.
Inza Ouattara, with the Office of Maine Refugee Services at Catholic Charities, said the increasing numbers reflect a more robust resettlement infrastructure, including new refugee agencies and more host cities beyond Portland.
"Now they have Bangor and Lewiston-Auburn as a site for refugee resettlement," he said. "So these are all factors that contributed to this increasing number of refugees."
Lewiston-Auburn was by far the top resettlement destination this year. Ouattara said that's due in part to rising housing costs pushing resettlement agencies to look outside of greater Portland.
Still, he said the lack of affordable housing remains a barrier.
"Everybody feels it. It's not only the refugees. It's a market that is really difficult," he said.
He said language barriers are also a problem, as some employers hesitate to hire refugees with limited English skills.
Maine's three resettlement agencies — Catholic Charities Maine, Maine Immigrant and Refugee Services, and the Jewish Community Alliance of Southern Maine — expect to welcome more than 900 refugees in the year ahead.
Maine's numbers represent a rebound after former President Trump made deep cuts to the federal refugee admissions program.
Nationally, the U.S. resettled just over 100,000 refugees in fiscal year 2024.
