[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 552 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 552

         Commemorating June 20, 2018, as ``World Refugee Day''.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             June 20, 2018

 Mr. Cardin (for himself, Mr. Carper, Mr. Van Hollen, Mr. Whitehouse, 
  Ms. Baldwin, Mr. Booker, Mr. Reed, Mr. Wyden, Mr. Blumenthal, Mrs. 
Murray, Mr. Coons, Ms. Warren, Mr. Kaine, Mrs. Gillibrand, Mr. Durbin, 
   Mr. Merkley, Mr. Udall, Mr. Markey, Mr. Brown, and Ms. Klobuchar) 
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 
                          on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
         Commemorating June 20, 2018, as ``World Refugee Day''.

Whereas World Refugee Day acknowledges the courage, strength, and determination 
        of women, men, and children forced to flee their homes because of 
        persecution or conflict;
Whereas, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees--

    (1) a refugee is an individual who faces persecution or has a well-
founded fear of persecution because of race, religion, nationality, 
political opinion, or membership in a particular social group;

    (2) more than 68,500,000 people are displaced worldwide, which is the 
worst displacement crisis in global history, including 25,400,000 refugees, 
more than 40,000,000 internally displaced people, 3,100,000 asylum seekers, 
and 10,000,000 stateless people;

    (3) children comprise 52 percent of the global refugee population, many 
of whom lack access to education;

    (4) on average, 44,400 people per day are displaced from their homes;

    (5) 16,200,000 individuals were newly displaced due to conflict or 
persecution in 2017, including 11,800,000 internally displaced persons and 
4,400,000 refugees and asylum seekers;

    (6) more than 68 percent of all refugees worldwide come from the 
following 5 countries:

    G    (A) Syria, with 6,300,000 refugees;

    G    (B) Afghanistan, with 2,600,000 refugees;

    G    (C) South Sudan, with 2,400,000 refugees;

    G    (D) Myanmar, with 1,200,000 refugees; and

    G    (E) Somalia, with 986,400 refugees;

    (7) 37 countries resettled 102,800 refugees, less than 1 percent of 
people in need of resettlement, in 2017;

    (8) more than \1/2\ of the Syrian population was displaced, either 
across borders or within the country, in 2016; and

    (9) the need for third-country resettlement continues to grow, with 
over 1,200,000 refugees requiring resettlement in 2017;

Whereas, during 2017, the United States welcomed a total of 33,400 refugees, 
        well below the United States Government goal of 45,000 refugee 
        admissions, and a 65-percent drop compared with the 96,900 refugees 
        welcomed in 2016;
Whereas, at this pace, the United States may only admit approximately 20,000 
        refugees this year;
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 local economies in the United States, pay an 
        average of $21,000 more in taxes than they receive in benefits, 
        revitalize cities and towns by offsetting population decline, and boost 
        economic growth throughout the United States by opening businesses, 
        paying taxes, and buying homes;
Whereas several industries rely heavily on refugee workers to support economic 
        stability, and low rates of refugee arrival has impacted economic 
        growth, especially in towns that rely on refugee populations to 
        revitalize their industries;
Whereas the ongoing crisis in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is projected 
        to produce nearly 1,000,000 refugees in neighboring countries in 2018;
Whereas the escalating crisis in Venezuela has forced 1,500,000 refugees to seek 
        safety in neighboring countries and beyond since 2014;
Whereas refugee children are 5 times more likely not to be in school than non-
        refugee children;
Whereas refugee women and children are often at greater risk of violence, human 
        trafficking, exploitation, and gender-based violence; and
Whereas the United States resettlement program is a life-saving solution 
        critical to global humanitarian efforts, which strengthens global 
        security, advances United States foreign policy goals, and alleviates 
        the burden placed on front-line host countries: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) underscores the importance of the United States Refugee 
        Resettlement Program as a critical tool for the United States 
        global leadership, including leveraging foreign policy, 
        strengthening national and regional security, and encouraging 
        international support of refugees;
            (2) reaffirms the bipartisan commitment of the United 
        States to promote the safety, health, and well-being of 
        refugees, including the education of refugee children and 
        displaced persons who flee war, persecution, or torture in 
        search of freedom and safety;
            (3) recognizes individuals who have risked their lives 
        working individually and for non-governmental organizations and 
        international agencies, such as United Nations High 
        Commissioner for Refugees, to provide life-saving assistance 
        and protection for people displaced by conflict around the 
        world; and
            (4) calls upon the United States Government--
                    (A) to uphold its international leadership role 
                responding to the global refugee crisis with 
                humanitarian assistance and protection for the most 
                vulnerable;
                    (B) to continue to provide adequate funding for 
                refugee resettlement in the United States and 
                protection for refugees overseas;
                    (C) to work in partnership with the international 
                community to find solutions to existing conflicts and 
                to prevent new conflicts;
                    (D) to alleviate the burden on front-line refugee 
                host countries that absorb the majority of the refugees 
                of the world through humanitarian and development 
                support; and
                    (E) to reaffirm the long-standing tradition of 
                resettling refugees in the United States regardless of 
                nationality or religion.
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