[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 684 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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117th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 684

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


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             June 21, 2022

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                               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 signing of the Convention 
        Relating to the Status of Refugees, done at Geneva July 28, 1951 (and 
        made applicable by the Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees, done 
        at New York January 31, 1967 (19 UST 6223)), 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 
        (referred to in this preamble as ``UNHCR'')--

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

    (2) 69 percent of the world's refugees came from Syria, Venezuela, 
Afghanistan, South Sudan, or Burma;

    (3) there have been more than 7,500,000 border crossings from Ukraine 
since February 24, 2022; nearly 5,000,000 refugees from Ukraine have been 
recorded 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 an estimated 2,700,000 registered Afghan refugees in the 
world, of whom nearly 2,100,000 are registered in Iran or Pakistan, in 
addition to another 3,500,000 Afghans who are internally displaced, having 
fled their homes searching for 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, representing the 
largest displacement crisis in the world today;

    (6) 1 out of every 4 people of concern to UNHCR lives in the Americas, 
which represents an increase from 1 out of every 6 in 2018;

    (7) more than 6,000,000 Venezuelans have left their home country since 
2014, 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 our 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 healthcare professionals and essential workers combating the 
        COVID-19 pandemic worldwide;
Whereas welcoming the oppressed and persecuted is a core tenet of our 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 our 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 in 
        1980, 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 border with Mexico;
Whereas in fiscal year 2021, the United States only settled 11,500 refugees, the 
        lowest figure since the passage of the Refugee Act of 1980, and as of 
        May 31, 2022, the United States had only resettled 12,641 refugees in 
        fiscal year 2022;
Whereas during the first 8 months of fiscal year 2022, only 5,070 refugees were 
        admitted from Africa, only 1,296 refugees were admitted from Latin 
        America and the Caribbean, and only 1,060 refugees were admitted from 
        East Asia;
Whereas resettlement organizations and 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 rigorous security vetting and medical screening 
        processing;
Whereas, according to New American Economy, refugees contributed an estimated 
        $269,100,000,000 to the national economy between 2005 and 2014, far 
        surpassing the $206,100,000,000 spent by the United States to assist 
        refugees during that period; 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 Senate--
            (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 (referred to in this 
        resolution as ``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 our asylum obligations;
            (4) underscores the need for the United States Government 
        to fully rebuild our 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, Secretary of 
        Homeland Security, and the United States Ambassador to the 
        United Nations--
                    (A) to continue providing robust funding for 
                refugee protection overseas and resettlement in the 
                United States;
                    (B) to 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) to work in partnership with the international 
                community to find solutions to existing conflicts and 
                prevent new conflicts from beginning;
                    (D) to 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) to continue to alleviate pressures on frontline 
                refugee host countries that absorb the majority of the 
                world's refugees through humanitarian and development 
                aid;
                    (F) to respond to the global refugee crisis by 
                meeting robust refugee admissions goals; and
                    (G) to reaffirm the goals of ``World Refugee Day'' 
                and reiterate the United States strong commitment to 
                protect refugees and asylum seekers who live without 
                material, social, or legal protections.
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