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No, Most Syrian Refugees Aren't Fighting-Age Men

Those against the U.S. accepting Syrian refugees claim that most are fighting-age men. But they're not.
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Some people are saying Syrian refugees are mostly "fighting-age men." (Video via Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)

"The fact of the matter is the majority of the refugees coming are young men of fighting age," Geraldo Rivera said on Fox News.

"There aren't that many women; there aren't that many children. It looked like mostly men, and these look like strong men," Donald Trump told George Stephanopoulos.

That's not true. 

There are 4.2 million registered Syrian refugees. Of those, 49.7 percent are male, 44 percent of whom are 18-59 years old.

The State Department says 2 percent accepted into the U.S. are single adult men.

"So 28 percent are women and children, and the other 72 percent, from January to September, those are men, and most of them fighting age," Rep. Louie Gohmert told Fox Business.

That's an outdated number. And it refers to overall Mediterranean migrants, not just Syrians.

The majority of Syrian refugees — about 51 percent — are 17 years old or younger.

"They want to work; they want to finish their education. They want to live in peace; they want some stability in their lives," Assistant Secretary of State Anne Richard said on C-SPAN.

Of the 4.2 million refugees, the U.S. will have accepted an estimated 2,000 in fiscal year 2015.

This video includes images from Getty Images.