- WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The
number of immigrants to the United States from Middle Eastern countries
rose more than seven-fold since 1970 and was likely to continue growing
fast despite the attacks on New York and Washington of last Sept. 11, according
to a report issued on Wednesday.
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- The study by the Center for Immigration Studies, a think-tank
that generally favors imposing more limits on immigration to the United
States, said the number had grown from fewer than 200,000 in 1970 to nearly
1.5 million now.
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- An additional 570,000 U.S.-born children had at least
one parent born in the Middle East. The size of the overall immigrant population
tripled during the same period.
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- Analyzing data from the U.S. Census and the Immigration
and Naturalization Service, the report projected that an additional 1.1
million Middle Eastern immigrants would arrive in the United States by
2010, bringing the total above 2.5 million.
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- This figure includes newcomers from non-Arab countries
including Iran, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan as well as non-Muslim
countries like Turkey and Israel.
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- However, the vast majority were Muslims. Whereas in 1970,
only 15 percent of immigrants from the region were Muslim, with most of
the rest being Christian, by 2000 around 73 percent of all Middle Eastern
immigrants were Muslim.
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- The INS estimates that 150,000, or 10 percent of Middle
Eastern immigrants, are in the country illegally.
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- Report author Steven Camarota said the wave of immigration
might lead to changes in U.S. policy towards the Arab-Israeli conflict
as elected officials responded to the increased importance of the Muslim
community.
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- "Interest in coming to America remains very strong
in the Middle East even after Sept. 11. In October, 2001, the Department
of State received approximately 1.5 million applications from the Middle
East, not including Pakistan," Camarota said.
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- "The events of Sept. 11 have led to somewhat higher
scrutiny for applicants from that part of the world," he said. "However,
this is unlikely to have a large impact on the total flow of immigrants
from the region because many individuals have been waiting years to join
family members already here and the political freedoms and economic opportunities
in the United States remain very attractive."
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- The hijack attacks on the World Trade Center and the
Pentagon last September were all carried out by Arab Muslims, several of
whom were in the country illegally. The attacks highlighted growing anti-American
sentiment in the Arab world.
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- The report said Middle Eastern immigrants were highly
educated, with 49 percent holding at least a bachelor's degree, compared
to 28 percent of natives.
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- Median earnings for Middle Eastern men were $39,000 a
year compared to $38,000 for native workers.
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