[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 204 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

114th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 204

          Recognizing June 20, 2015 as ``World Refugee Day''.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             June 18, 2015

Mr. Cardin (for himself, Mr. Rubio, Mr. Leahy, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Markey, 
 Mrs. Shaheen, Mr. Coons, Mr. Blumenthal, Ms. Baldwin, Mr. Kaine, Ms. 
 Stabenow, Mrs. Murray, Mrs. Boxer, Mr. King, Mr. Brown, Mr. Reed, Mr. 
  Menendez, Mr. Wyden, Ms. Klobuchar, Mrs. Feinstein, and Mr. Casey) 
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 
                          on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
          Recognizing June 20, 2015 as ``World Refugee Day''.

Whereas World Refugee Day is a global day to honor the courage, strength, and 
        determination of women, men, and children who are forced to flee their 
        homes under the threats of conflict, violence, and persecution;
Whereas according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (referred 
        to in this preamble as ``UNHCR'')--

    (1) there are nearly 60,000,000 displaced people worldwide, the highest 
levels ever recorded, including almost 20,000,000 refugees, 38,000,000 
internally displaced people, and 1,800,000 people seeking asylum;

    (2) children account for 51 percent of the refugee population in the 
world;

    (3) nearly 4,000,000 refugees have fled Syria since the start of the 
Syrian conflict and more than 7,600,000 people are internally displaced;

    (4) approximately 1,325,000 people are displaced within Ukraine with 
approximately 800,000 Ukrainians seeking protection in other countries as a 
result of a worsening humanitarian situation in nongovernment controlled 
areas;

    (5) since April 2015, sporadic outbursts of violence in Burundi have 
prompted more than 100,000 Burundians to flee to the neighboring countries 
of Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo;

    (6) violent insurgent attacks in Nigeria have forced 167,000 people to 
flee to the neighboring countries of Cameroon, Chad, and Niger, and have 
internally displaced nearly 1,500,000 people;

    (7) more than 88,000 women, men, and children, including many 
persecuted Rohingya refugees from Burma, have departed on smugglers' boats 
from the Bay of Bengal since 2014, more than 1,000 of whom have died at 
sea;

    (8) as of June 2015, more than 100,000 refugees and migrants have 
crossed the Mediterranean Sea from North Africa and at least 1,800 women, 
men, and children have died during such crossings or are missing;

    (9) more than 180,000 Iraqi refugees and nearly 3,000,000 internally 
displaced Iraqis;

    (10) nearly 6,000,000 internally displaced Colombians;

    (11) nearly 700,000 South Sudanese refugees in neighboring countries; 
and

    (12) more than 465,000 refugees from the Central African Republic;

Whereas refugees who are women and girls are often at a greater risk of sexual 
        violence and exploitation, forced or early marriage, human trafficking, 
        and other forms of gender-based violence;
Whereas the United States provides critical resources and support to the UNHCR 
        and other international and nongovernmental organizations working with 
        refugees around the world; and
Whereas since 1975, the United States has welcomed more than 3,000,000 refugees 
        who are resettled in communities across the country: Now, therefore, be 
        it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) reaffirms the bipartisan commitment of the United 
        States to promote the safety, health, and well-being of the 
        millions of refugees and displaced persons who flee war, 
        persecution, and torture in search of peace, hope, and freedom;
            (2) calls upon the United States Government--
                    (A) to continue its international leadership role 
                in response to those who have been displaced, including 
                the most vulnerable populations who endure sexual 
                violence, human trafficking, forced conscription, 
                genocide, and exploitation; and
                    (B) to find political solutions to existing 
                conflicts and prevent new conflicts from beginning;
            (3) commends those who have risked their lives working 
        individually and for the countless nongovernmental 
        organizations and international agencies such as UNHCR that 
        have provided life-saving assistance and helped protect those 
        displaced by conflict around the world; and
            (4) reiterates the strong bipartisan commitment of the 
        United States to protect and assist millions of refugees and 
        other forcibly uprooted persons worldwide.
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