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Study finds refugees in Michigan contributed more than $200M to economy

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A new study reports that refugees resettled in Metro-Detroit have contributed more than $200 million dollars to the economy in the last decade. This new data comes after President Trump's announcement he will place more limits on the number of refugees admitted to the United States.

This study was released by immigrant resource center Global Detroit in hopes of relieving concerns surrounding refugees. In Metro Detroit the vast majority are from Iraq according to the study which examines where refuges relocate to and from as well as their contribution to the community and economy. 

The study says more than 20,000 refugees resettled into Macomb, Wayne, Oakland and Washtenaw counties between 2007 and 2016, during that time contributing over $200 million dollars to the economy and creating more than 2300 jobs.

Steve Tobocman the executive director of Global Detroit says it's not just their work, it's the businesses they create and the people they employ in the region. 

The study found those refugees who have resettled in Michigan in the last decade are more likely to be entrepreneurs than US born residents of Michigan. 

You can look at the full study here