[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 743 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 743

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


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             June 20, 2024

 Mr. Cardin (for himself, Mr. Bennet, Mr. Blumenthal, Mr. Booker, Mr. 
Coons, Ms. Duckworth, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Fetterman, Mr. Hickenlooper, Mr. 
   Kaine, Ms. Klobuchar, Mr. Markey, Mr. Menendez, Mr. Merkley, Mr. 
  Murphy, Mrs. Murray, Mr. Padilla, Mr. Schatz, Mrs. Shaheen, Mr. Van 
    Hollen, Mr. Welch, Mr. Wyden, and Mr. Whitehouse) submitted the 
 following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign 
                               Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


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

Whereas June 20, 2024 is an international day designated by the United Nations 
        as ``World Refugee Day,'' to recognize refugees around the globe and 
        celebrate the strength and courage of people who have been forced to 
        flee their homes to escape conflict or persecution due to their race, 
        religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular 
        social group;
Whereas July 28, 2024 is the 73rd anniversary of the adoption of the Convention 
        relating to the Status of Refugees, held at Geneva on July 28, 1951, 
        which defines the term ``refugee'' and outlines the rights of refugees 
        and the legal obligations of nation states to protect such rights;
Whereas, in 2024, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (referred to 
        in this resolution as ``UNHCR'') reported that--

    (1) at the end of 2023, there were more than 117,000,000 displaced 
people who had been forced from their homes worldwide, which is more 
displaced people than at any other time in recorded history, including more 
than 31,600,000 refugees, 6,900,000 asylum seekers, and 68,300,000 
internally displaced persons;

    (2) 75 percent of all refugees worldwide are hosted in low- and middle-
income countries and fewer than 1 percent of refugees are ever resettled;

    (3) 73 percent of the world's refugees originate from 5 countries, 
namely Afghanistan, Syria, Venezuela, Ukraine, and Sudan;

    (4) more than 50 percent of the population of Syria (approximately 
13,800,000 people) have been displaced since the beginning of the Syrian 
civil war in 2011, either exiting Syria across an international border or 
going to other areas within Syria;

    (5) as of June 2024, 9,700,000 Ukrainians are displaced as a result of 
Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine, which is an estimated \1/6\ of 
Ukraine's pre-war population, including more than 6,400,000 Ukrainian 
refugees;

    (6) there are an estimated 6,400,000 Afghan refugees around the world, 
of whom 90 percent are hosted in either Iran or Pakistan;

    (7) Latin America and the Caribbean currently host 84 percent of the 
more than 7,000,000 Venezuelan refugees and migrants globally, and the 
Americas currently host approximately 20,000,000 refugees, asylum-seekers, 
and stateless people from around the world;

    (8) as of June 2024, more than 9,000,000 people are displaced due to 
the ongoing conflict in Sudan, including nearly 2,000,000 refugees who have 
fled to neighboring countries, many of whom are women or children;

    (9) as of May 2024, more than 360,000 people were internally displaced 
in Haiti due to widespread violence in the prior year;

    (10) between October 2023 and June 2024, approximately 75 percent of 
the population of Gaza (approximately 1,700,000 people) have been 
internally displaced;

    (11) as of April 2024, there were approximately 6,800,000 internally 
displaced people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo as a result of 
violence between armed groups;

    (12) as of May 2024, nearly 1,000,000 Rohingya refugees resided in 
Bangladesh, with thousands more refugees throughout the region, and an 
estimated 45,000 newly displaced Rohingya people fled to the border of 
Burma and Bangladesh in 2024 amidst renewed violence in Rakhine State, with 
the potential for increased refugee flows in the coming months as violence 
continues; and

    (13) as of May 2024, in the Sahel region, which encompasses Burkina 
Faso, Mali, and Niger, nearly 4,800,000 people have been forced to flee 
their homes;

Whereas welcoming people from around the world who have been oppressed and 
        persecuted is a tenet of our Nation, and the United States is home to a 
        diverse population of refugees and immigrants who contribute to the 
        economic strengths and cultural richness of our communities;
Whereas, since seeking asylum is a protected right under United States domestic 
        and international law, the United States is legally obligated to 
        contribute to the maintenance of a humane and functioning international 
        asylum system;
Whereas the principle of non-refoulement is also a central tenet of the United 
        States refugee and asylum systems, and thousands of people living in the 
        United States who immigrated from countries around the world would be 
        subject to harm if they were deported to their countries of origin due 
        to widespread conflict or persecution in such countries;
Whereas the United States Refugee Admissions Program, which was established in 
        1980--

    (1) is a lifesaving pillar of global humanitarian efforts;

    (2) advances United States national security and foreign policy goals; 
and

    (3) supports regional host countries;

Whereas resettlement is an essential part of a comprehensive strategy to respond 
        to refugee crises, promote regional stability, and strengthen United 
        States national security;
Whereas resettlement to the United States is available for the most vulnerable 
        refugees who undergo rigorous security vetting and medical screening 
        processes;
Whereas the United States supports the efforts of the UNHCR to increase 
        protection for, and the global resettlement of, LGBTQI+ refugees 
        overseas;
Whereas women and girls have an increased risk of sexual violence, exploitation, 
        and trafficking while they are traveling to seek safe living conditions;
Whereas through the United States Refugee Admissions Program--

    (1) the number of refugees who have arrived in the United States 
increased from only 11,411 during fiscal year 2021 to 60,014 during fiscal 
year 2023;

    (2) as of May 31, 2024, more than 60,000 refugees had arrived in the 
United States during fiscal year 2024; and

    (3) the Biden Administration continues to actively pursue its stated 
goal of 125,000 refugee admissions during fiscal year 2024;

Whereas refugee resettlement organizations, businesses, and other community and 
        faith-based groups offer support for refugees who resettle in the United 
        States, and groups of private citizens are now supporting newly arrived 
        refugees through Welcome Corps, the refugee sponsorship initiative under 
        the United States Refugee Admissions Program;
Whereas, between 2005 and 2019, refugees and asylees in the United States 
        contributed an estimated $581,000,000,000 in total revenue across all 
        levels of government;
Whereas robust funding for international and domestic protection and assistance 
        for refugees and other displaced populations bolsters United States 
        national security, foreign policy, economic, and humanitarian interests; 
        and
Whereas most refugees integrate and quickly become self-sufficient members of 
        their respective communities by joining the workforce, paying taxes, 
        supporting local commerce, helping to address labor demand in critical 
        industries, and creating new jobs: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) recognizes the urgency to establish and follow 
        comprehensive, fair, and humane policies to address forced 
        migration and refugee challenges;
            (2) 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 fleeing 
        war, persecution, or torture in search of protection, peace, 
        hope, and freedom;
            (3) recognizes the many individuals who have risked their 
        lives working, either individually or on behalf of 
        nongovernmental organizations or international agencies, such 
        as UNHCR, to provide lifesaving assistance and protection for 
        people around the world who have been displaced from their 
        homes;
            (4) reaffirms the imperative to fully restore United States 
        asylum protections enshrined in the Refugee Act of 1980 (Public 
        Law 96-212) by rejecting harmful bans and restrictions that 
        limit refugees' access to protections and due process at the 
        United States border;
            (5) reaffirms the importance of the United States Refugee 
        Admissions Program as a critical tool of the United States 
        Government--
                    (A) to strengthen national and regional security; 
                and
                    (B) to encourage international solidarity with host 
                countries; and
            (6) calls upon the Secretary of State, the Secretary of 
        Homeland Security, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, 
        and the United States Ambassador to the United Nations--
                    (A) to uphold the United States international 
                leadership role in responding to displacement crises 
                with humanitarian assistance, and strengthening its 
                leadership role in the protection of vulnerable refugee 
                populations that endure gender-based violence, torture, 
                human trafficking, persecution, and violence against 
                religious minorities, forced conscription, genocide, 
                and exploitation;
                    (B) to work in partnership with the international 
                community to find solutions to existing conflicts, 
                prevent new conflicts from emerging, and tackle the 
                root causes of involuntary migration;
                    (C) 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;
                    (D) to continue to alleviate pressures, through 
                humanitarian and development assistance, on frontline 
                refugee host countries that absorb the majority of the 
                world's refugees, while effectively advocating for 
                refugee well-being, including access to education and 
                livelihoods;
                    (E) to meaningfully include refugees and displaced 
                populations in creating and achieving the policy 
                solutions affecting them;
                    (F) to respond to the global refugee crisis by 
                meeting robust refugee admissions goals;
                    (G) to implement the United States pledges made at 
                the Global Refugee Forum held in Geneva in December 
                2023 to expand refugee protection;
                    (H) to address barriers faced by refugees with 
                disabilities by ensuring accessible infrastructure and 
                the availability of disability-related services and 
                social protection schemes; and
                    (I) to reaffirm the goals of ``World Refugee Day'' 
                and reiterate the United States strong commitment to 
                protect refugees and asylum seekers who live without 
                adequate material, social, or legal protections.
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