[Congressional Bills 103th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 191 Introduced in House (IH)]

103d CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. CON. RES. 191

To urge the Secretary of State to actively engage in negotiations with 
the signatories of the United Nations Convention Relating to the Status 
of Refugees to establish international first safe haven procedures for 
                   aliens claiming political asylum.


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                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           November 22, 1993

Mr. Franks of New Jersey (for himself, Mr. Johnson of Georgia, and Mr. 
   Regula) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was 
              referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
To urge the Secretary of State to actively engage in negotiations with 
the signatories of the United Nations Convention Relating to the Status 
of Refugees to establish international first safe haven procedures for 
                   aliens claiming political asylum.

Whereas the United States continues to recognize the need to ensure asylum for 
        individuals who legitimately face persecution on account of their race, 
        religion, nationality, or political beliefs;
Whereas there are strong economic incentives for claiming asylum in the United 
        States;
Whereas political asylum requests last year were higher than ever before in 
        American history and have already exceeded 100,000 this year, up from 
        less than 5,000 in 1980;
Whereas asylum applications have already amassed a 300,000 case backlog and 
        continue to increase at a rapid rate;
Whereas the increase in asylum applications in the United States has rendered 
        current procedures insufficient to ensure protection for American 
        citizens from the dangers of terrorism;
Whereas the number of fraudulent claims and prevalence of asylum abuse greatly 
        hampers the ability of the United States to assist individuals who 
        present legitimate claims;
Whereas aliens who are most in need of political asylum should logically seek 
        safe haven where it is most immediately available; and
Whereas the European Asylum Convention (drafted in Dublin on June 15, 1990) is a 
        suitable framework for achieving uniform procedures for processing 
        asylum applications: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That it is the sense of the Congress that the Secretary of State should 
actively engage in negotiations with the signatories of the United 
Nations Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees to establish 
uniform international procedures limiting asylum requests to the first 
nation a refugee passes through that is a signatory to the United 
Nations Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees.

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