[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 283 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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117th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 283

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


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             June 23, 2021

   Mr. Menendez (for himself, Mr. Leahy, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Cardin, Mr. 
Coons, Mr. Kaine, Mr. Murphy, Mr. Booker, Mr. Merkley, Mr. Markey, Mr. 
Van Hollen, Mr. Warnock, Ms. Cantwell, Mr. Blumenthal, Ms. Hirono, Ms. 
   Klobuchar, Ms. Smith, Mr. Brown, Mr. Whitehouse, Mr. Padilla, Mr. 
  Schatz, and Mr. Reed) submitted the following resolution; which was 
             referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


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

Whereas June 20 is observed as ``World Refugee Day'', a global event to 
        acknowledge the courage, resilience, and determination of individuals 
        and families who are forced to flee their homes due to persecution;
Whereas December 14, 2020, signified 70 years since the founding of the Office 
        of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees;
Whereas July 28, 2021, is the 70th anniversary of the Convention Relating to the 
        Status of Refugees, signed 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 2020, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for 
        Refugees--

    (1) there were more than 82,400,000 forcibly displaced people 
worldwide, the worst displacement crisis in recorded history, including 
26,400,000 refugees, more than 48,000,000 internally displaced people, and 
4,100,000 people seeking asylum;

    (2) on average, 1 out of every 95 people worldwide was a refugee, an 
internally displaced person, or a person seeking asylum;

    (3) 11,200,000 people were newly displaced due to recent conflict or 
persecution;

    (4) 68 percent of the world's refugees came from Syria, Venezuela, 
Afghanistan, South Sudan, and Burma;

    (5) 2,600,000 Afghan refugees were displaced worldwide, making them one 
of the world's largest and longest-running displaced populations;

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

    (7) children accounted for 30 percent of the world's population but 42 
percent of all forcibly displaced people, millions of whom were unable to 
access basic services, including education; and

    (8) 86 percent of all refugees were hosted by developing nations, and 
less than 1 percent of vulnerable refugees in need of resettlement had the 
opportunity to resettle because sufficient numbers of places do not exist;

Whereas refugees are major contributors to local economies and served as 
        critical frontline health professionals and essential workers combating 
        the COVID-19 pandemic worldwide;
Whereas the United States has an obligation to provide humanitarian protection 
        to refugees, as well as interpreters, translators, and others in 
        Afghanistan who served alongside United States and NATO troops, 
        diplomats, and development workers;
Whereas the United States supports the United Nations High Commissioner for 
        Refugees to increase protection for LGBTQI+ refugees overseas and to 
        support global resettlement of LGBTQI+ refugees; and
Whereas the United States Refugee Admissions Program, which was established over 
        40 years ago, is a lifesaving solution crucial to global humanitarian 
        efforts, strengthens global security, advances United States foreign 
        policy goals, supports regional host countries, and assists individuals 
        and families in need: 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 
        millions of refugees, including the education of refugee 
        children and displaced persons, who flee war, persecution, or 
        torture in search of 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, to provide lifesaving 
        assistance and protection for people displaced around the 
        world;
            (3) underscores the importance of the United States Refugee 
        Admissions Program as a critical tool for the United States 
        Government to strengthen national and regional security and 
        encourage international solidarity with host countries;
            (4) calls upon the Secretary of State and United States 
        Ambassador to the United Nations to--
                    (A) continue providing robust funding for refugee 
                protection overseas and resettlement in the United 
                States;
                    (B) uphold 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 sexual 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 United 
                Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to advance the 
                work of nongovernmental organizations to protect 
                refugees regardless of their country of origin 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 
                support; and
                    (F) respond to the global refugee crisis by meeting 
                robust refugee admissions goals; and
            (5) reaffirms the goals of ``World Refugee Day'' and 
        reiterates the strong commitment of the United States to 
        protect the millions of refugees who live without material, 
        social, or legal protections.
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