[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1195 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>






117th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 1195

Reaffirming the importance of the United States to promote the safety, 
       health, and well-being of refugees and displaced persons.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 21, 2022

Mr. Lieu (for himself, Ms. Adams, Ms. Jackson Lee, Ms. Norton, Ms. Lee 
   of California, Ms. Clarke of New York, Mr. Correa, Mr. Johnson of 
Georgia, Mr. Price of North Carolina, Ms. Tlaib, Mr. Rush, Mr. Suozzi, 
 Ms. Velazquez, Mr. Pocan, Mr. McGovern, Ms. Brown of Ohio, Mr. Trone, 
 Ms. Jacobs of California, Mr. Cohen, Mr. Espaillat, Mr. Grijalva, Mr. 
     Smith of Washington, Mr. Peters, Mr. Vargas, Mr. Khanna, Ms. 
Schakowsky, Ms. Sanchez, Mr. Lowenthal, Ms. Bass, Ms. Johnson of Texas, 
     Ms. DelBene, Mr. Kind, Mr. Connolly, Mrs. Watson Coleman, Mr. 
    Schneider, Mr. Cleaver, Ms. Speier, Mr. Levin of Michigan, Ms. 
   Pressley, Mr. Yarmuth, Mr. Swalwell, Ms. Pingree, Mr. Kilmer, Ms. 
    Bonamici, Ms. Barragan, Mr. Sires, Mr. Pallone, Mr. Jones, Ms. 
 McCollum, Ms. Escobar, Mr. Danny K. Davis of Illinois, Mr. Evans, Mr. 
San Nicolas, Mrs. Lawrence, Mr. Krishnamoorthi, Ms. Meng, Ms. Jayapal, 
Ms. Titus, Mr. Bera, Ms. Lofgren, Mr. Cicilline, Mr. Nadler, Ms. Garcia 
of Texas, Ms. Wilson of Florida, Mr. Langevin, Mr. Neguse, Ms. Newman, 
and Ms. Matsui) submitted the following resolution; which was referred 
 to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committee 
  on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the 
  Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall 
           within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
Reaffirming the importance of the United States to promote the safety, 
       health, and well-being of refugees and displaced persons.

Whereas June 20, 2022, is observed as ``World Refugee Day'', a global event to 
        honor refugees around the globe and celebrate the strengths and courage 
        of people who have been forced to flee their home country to escape 
        conflict or persecution due to their race, religion, nationality, 
        political opinion, or membership in a particular social group;
Whereas July 28, 2022, is the 71st anniversary of the Convention Relating to the 
        Status of Refugees, held in Geneva on July 28, 1951, which defines the 
        term ``refugee'' and outlines the rights of refugees and the legal 
        obligations of States to protect them;
Whereas, in 2022, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees 
        (UNHCR)--

    (1) there are more than 100,000,000 displaced people who have been 
forced from their homes worldwide, more than any time in recorded history, 
including over 27,100,000 refugees and at least 53,200,000 internally 
displaced people as of the end of 2021;

    (2) 66 percent of the world's refugees came from Syria, Venezuela, 
Afghanistan, South Sudan, and Burma;

    (3) there have been more than 7,500,000 border crossings from Ukraine 
since February 24, 2022, with nearly 5,000,000 having been recorded as 
refugees across Europe as of June 9, 2022, and nearly 12,800,000 people 
were internally displaced in Ukraine as of May 5, 2022;

    (4) there are 2,700,000 registered Afghan refugees in the world, of 
whom nearly 2,100,000 are registered in Iran and Pakistan alone, in 
addition to another 3,500,000 people who are internally displaced, having 
fled their homes in search of refuge within the country;

    (5) more than 50 percent of the population of Syria, at least 
13,500,000 people, have been displaced since the start of the conflict, 
either across the international border or within Syria, which represents 
the largest displacement crisis in the world today;

    (6) 1 in 4 people of concern to UNHCR lives in the Americas, up from 1 
in 6 in 2018;

    (7) over 6,000,000 Venezuelans have fled the country, representing the 
largest exodus in Latin America's recent history and one of the largest 
displacement crises in the world;

    (8) children account for 31 percent of the world's population and 41 
percent of all forcibly displaced people, millions of whom are unable to 
access basic services, including education; and

    (9) 83 percent of all refugees are hosted by developing nations, and 
fewer than 1 percent of vulnerable refugees in need of resettlement have 
had the opportunity due to lack of resettlement places;

Whereas thousands of immigrant neighbors in the United States, including people 
        from Ethiopia, Cameroon, Haiti, Mauritania, and South Sudan, face harm 
        if deported to their home countries due to violent crime and political 
        instability;
Whereas refugees are major contributors to local economies and serve as critical 
        frontline health care professionals and essential workers combating the 
        COVID-19 pandemic worldwide;
Whereas welcoming the oppressed and persecuted is a core tenet of this great 
        Nation, and the United States is home to a diverse population of 
        refugees and immigrants who have added to the economic strengths and 
        cultural richness of United States communities;
Whereas, consistent with domestic and international law, all foreign nationals 
        arriving in the United States, regardless of their nationality, must be 
        given an opportunity to seek asylum;
Whereas the United States must restore a humane and functioning asylum system in 
        order to meet its obligations under domestic and international law with 
        respect to those fleeing persecution;
Whereas the United States supports the UNHCR in its efforts to increase 
        protection for LGBTQI+ refugees overseas and to support their global 
        resettlement;
Whereas the United States Refugee Admissions Program, which was established over 
        40 years ago, is a lifesaving pillar of global humanitarian efforts, 
        advances United States foreign policy goals, and supports regional host 
        countries;
Whereas resettlement is an essential part of a comprehensive strategy to respond 
        to refugee crises, promote responsibility sharing, and strengthen United 
        States national security by ensuring access to legal migration pathways;
Whereas the infrastructure for the United States refugee resettlement pipeline 
        has been dismantled, limiting access to the United States Refugee 
        Admissions Program globally;
Whereas, for the first time in recent history, following the destruction of the 
        United States refugee resettlement pipeline, large numbers of desperate 
        migrants from as far as Cameroon and Ukraine have sought refuge from 
        persecution at the United States-Mexico border;
Whereas, in fiscal year 2021, the United States only resettled 11,500 refugees, 
        the lowest figure since the passage of the Refugee Act of 1980, and as 
        of May 31, 2022, the United States has only resettled 12,641 refugees in 
        fiscal year 2022;
Whereas, as of May 31, 2022, in fiscal year 2022, only 5,070 refugees were 
        admitted from Africa, only 1,296 from Latin America and the Caribbean; 
        and only 1,060 from East Asia;
Whereas resettlement organizations, as well as other community and faith-based 
        groups, offer support for refugees who resettle in the United States;
Whereas resettlement to the United States is available for the most vulnerable 
        refugees who undergo a rigorous security vetting and medical screening 
        process;
Whereas, according to New American Economy, between 2005 and 2014, refugees 
        contributed an estimated $269,100,000,000 to the national economy, far 
        surpassing the $206,100,000,000 spent by the United States to assist 
        refugees; and
Whereas refugees integrate and quickly become self-sufficient by paying taxes, 
        supporting local commerce, joining the workforce, and creating jobs: 
        Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) reaffirms the bipartisan commitment of the United 
        States to promote the safety, health, and well-being of 
        millions of refugees and asylum seekers, including the 
        education of refugee children and displaced persons who flee 
        war, persecution, or torture in search of protection, peace, 
        hope, and freedom;
            (2) recognizes those individuals who have risked their 
        lives working, either individually or for nongovernmental 
        organizations and international agencies, such as the United 
        Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), to provide 
        lifesaving assistance and protection for people displaced 
        around the world;
            (3) reaffirms the imperative to fully restore United States 
        asylum protections by terminating policies that deny access to 
        asylum or externalize United States asylum obligations;
            (4) underscores the need for the United States Government 
        to fully rebuild the Nation's refugee resettlement 
        infrastructure in order to strengthen national and regional 
        security and encourage international solidarity with host 
        countries; and
            (5) calls upon the Secretary of State, the Secretary of 
        Homeland Security, and the United States Ambassador to the 
        United Nations to--
                    (A) continue providing robust funding for refugee 
                protection overseas and resettlement in the United 
                States;
                    (B) revive the United States international 
                leadership role in responding to displacement crises 
                with humanitarian assistance, and restore its 
                leadership role in the protection of vulnerable refugee 
                populations that endure gender-based violence, human 
                trafficking, persecution and violence against religious 
                minorities, forced conscription, genocide, and 
                exploitation;
                    (C) work in partnership with the international 
                community to find solutions to existing conflicts and 
                prevent new conflicts from beginning;
                    (D) continue supporting the efforts of the UNHCR 
                and advance the work of nongovernmental organizations 
                to protect refugees and asylum seekers regardless of 
                their country of origin, race, ethnicity, or religious 
                beliefs;
                    (E) continue to alleviate pressures on frontline 
                refugee host countries that absorb the majority of the 
                world's refugees through humanitarian and development 
                aid;
                    (F) respond to the global refugee crisis by meeting 
                robust refugee admissions goals; and
                    (G) reaffirm the goals of ``World Refugee Day'' and 
                reiterate the strong commitment to protect refugees and 
                asylum seekers who live without material, social, or 
                legal protections.
                                 <all>