[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 195 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 195

          Recognizing June 20, 2017, as ``World Refugee Day''.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             June 20, 2017

 Mr. Cardin (for himself, Mr. Blumenthal, Ms. Baldwin, Mr. Whitehouse, 
   Mr. Coons, Mr. Markey, Mr. Wyden, Mr. Van Hollen, Mr. Booker, Mr. 
  Franken, Mrs. Shaheen, Mr. Merkley, Mr. Kaine, Mr. Bennet, and Mr. 
 Brown) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 
                     Committee on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
          Recognizing June 20, 2017, as ``World Refugee Day''.

Whereas World Refugee Day is an opportunity to acknowledge the courage, 
        strength, and determination of women, men, and children forced to flee 
        their homes due to conflict, violence, and persecution;
Whereas according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (referred 
        to in this Resolution as ``UNHCR'')--

    (1) there are more than 65,600,000 displaced people worldwide, the 
highest level ever recorded, including nearly 22,500,000 refugees, more 
than 40,300,000 internally displaced people, and 2,800,000 people seeking 
asylum;

    (2) children account for 51 percent of the global refugee population, 
millions of whom are unable to access basic services, including education;

    (3) 10,300,000 people were newly displaced due to conflict or 
persecution in 2016;

    (4) more than 5,500,000 refugees have fled Syria since the start of the 
conflict, and more than 6,300,000 people are displaced inside Syria;

    (5) since January 2014, more than 3,000,000 Iraqis fleeing violence 
have been internally displaced, and 257,000 refugees have fled to 
neighboring countries;

    (6) South Sudan has the world's fastest-growing refugee crisis, which 
is now the largest refugee crisis in Africa, with more than 1,800,000 
refugees, including 1,000,000 children;

    (7) increasing violence in Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras has led 
to a growing number of unaccompanied child refugees, who are particularly 
vulnerable to sexual violence, human trafficking, and kidnapping; and

    (8) ongoing conflict, violence, and persecution have resulted in the 
displacement of millions in Ukraine, Colombia, and the Central African 
Republic;

Whereas 84 percent of the world's refugees are hosted in developing regions, 
        with more than 28 percent hosted in the world's least developed 
        countries;
Whereas refugees who are women and children are often at greater risk of 
        violence, human trafficking, exploitation, and gender-based violence;
Whereas the United States resettlement program is a life-saving solution 
        critical to global humanitarian efforts, which reflects American values, 
        strengthens global security, and alleviates the burden placed on front-
        line host countries;
Whereas refugees are the most vetted travelers to enter the United States and 
        are subject to extensive screening checks, including in person 
        interviews, biometric data checks, and multiple interagency checks;
Whereas refugees contribute to their communities by starting businesses, paying 
        taxes, and sharing their cultural traditions; and
Whereas refugees contribute more than they consume in State-funded services, 
        including schooling and health care: 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;
            (2) recognizes those individuals who have risked their 
        lives working individually and for nongovernmental 
        organizations and international agencies, such as UNHCR, to 
        provide life-saving assistance and protection for people 
        displaced by conflict around the world;
            (3) underscores the importance of the United States Refugee 
        Resettlement Program as a critical tool for United States 
        global leadership;
            (4) calls upon the United States Government--
                    (A) to continue providing robust funding for 
                refugee protection overseas and resettlement in the 
                United States;
                    (B) to uphold its international leadership role in 
                responding to displacement crises with humanitarian 
                assistance and protection of the most vulnerable 
                populations; and
                    (C) to alleviate the burden on refugee host 
                countries through humanitarian and development support 
                while maintaining the United States longstanding 
                tradition of resettling the most vulnerable refugees 
                regardless of their country of origin or religious 
                beliefs;
            (5) reaffirms the goals of World Refugee Day; and
            (6) reiterates the strong commitment of the United States 
        to seek to protect the millions of refugees who live without 
        material, social, or legal protections.
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