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Community Programs

Utah

With a deeply rooted history of refugee resettlement, including that of the Mormon pioneers who fled religious persecution, Utah is a state that welcomes refugees. State leaders have shared that “[Utahns] understand the pain caused by forced migration and appreciate the contributions of refugees in our communities.” The Community Programs team in Utah is actively engaged with local nonprofit organizations, serving in the community, and developing opportunities for collecting and sharing refugee stories.

Demographics
ARRIVALS

FY 2017-2021 data source: Public Health Indicator-Based Information System for Utah.

FY 2022 data source: Provided by a Refugee Data Specialist at Utah Refugee Center. For more information, please contact [email protected].

TOP COUNTRIES OF ORIGIN

FY 2022 data source: Provided by a Refugee Data Specialist at Utah Refugee Center. For more information, please contact [email protected].

TOP NEWCOMER LANGUAGES
  • Dari
  • Pashto
  • French
  • Ukrainian
  • Arabic

FY 2022 data source: Languages based on the official and/or most common language of arrivals’ country of origin.

Story Gallery
Explore the stories of the people who call Utah home.
Share Your Story
Oksana Melnyk1 March 2026 by Ma Kenna Harmon
Oksana Melnyk  ·  Ukraine
This Is My Life
Hawa Shego
Hawa Shego  ·  Somalia
Just Me and Rock Climbing
Photography25of58
Kyrylo Burlaka  ·  Ukraine
When the War Started, We Thought It Was Fake
Oksana
Oksana  ·  Ukraine
I Don’t Understand How This is Possible
Yuliia Pylypenko
Yuliia Pylypenko  ·  Ukraine
Keeping My Promise: How I Found Safety for My Family and Started Helping Others
Holding Onsm
Omaya  ·  Afghanistan
Everyone was Desperate
More stories
Blog Posts
Learn more about our work and our team.
Cato Graph 1
 The Real Cost of Immigration July 1, 2026
Story Shield Workshop Edited
 Preparedness Before Crisis June 25, 2026
A Broken Promise Refugees in America
 A Broken Promise: Refugees in America March 31, 2026
More blog posts
Events
Join us at an upcoming local or virtual event.

We're building our calendar of upcoming events. Check back soon or subscribe to our email list for updates.

Partners
Volunteer alongside our team with these local organizations.
Leadership
Get to know our Utah leadership team.
Kandace
Kandace Hyland
Director of Marketing and Public Relations
Nicole Taylor
Nicole Taylor
Director of Story Production
Contact Us
Reach out to our local team with any questions. We love to connect with people interested in welcoming newcomers to our community.
What would you do if you had to leave everything behind?

By the end of 2025, more than 117.8 million people worldwide had been forcibly displaced by war, persecution, or human rights abuses — and 45 million of them are children.

They arrive in refugee camps and countries seeking safety and carrying little: legal papers, if they're lucky. A backpack. A child's hand in theirs.

What they carry that we can't see is heavier: fractured families, homes they'll never return to, professions they loved, friends and relatives they may never see again.

In a climate where immigrant stories are often ignored or twisted, we believe stories are a form of justice. When someone shares what they survived, they reclaim their voice. When we amplify it through film, photography, and advocacy, the world listens. Hearts soften. Policy begins to shift.

Because when a lawmaker sees a person instead of a statistic, and a neighbor understands instead of fears, rebuilding becomes possible.

Your support helps us share these stories where they matter most.

— Kristen Smith Dayley, Executive Director, Their Story is Our Story

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