[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 99 (Tuesday, June 19, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7892-S7895]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. KENNEDY (for himself, Mr. Smith, Mr. Biden, Mr. Hagel, Mr. 
        Leahy, Mr. Levin, and Mr. Lieberman):
  S. 1651. A bill to assist certain Iraqis who have worked directly 
with, or are threatened by their association with, the United States, 
and for other purposes; to the Committee on the Judiciary.
  Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, because of the war in Iraq, more than 2 
million Iraqis have been internally displaced in their own country, and 
2 million other Iraqis are in neighboring countries throughout the 
region, primarily Jordan and Syria.
  The humanitarian needs of the refugees and internally displaced 
Iraqis are immense. If their needs are not quickly and adequately met, 
these populations could become a fertile recruiting ground for 
terrorists.
  Iraqi refugees are also a significant financial burden on countries 
in the region. As the Iraq Study Group concluded, if the refugee crisis 
``is not addressed, Iraq and the region could be further 
destabilized.''
  Many Iraqis who have worked in critical positions in direct support 
of the U.S. Government in Iraq have been killed or injured in reprisals 
for their support of our effort. Many more Iraqis associated with the 
United States have fled their country in fear of being killed or 
injured.
  Clearly, we cannot resettle all of Iraq's refugees in the United 
States, but we have a fundamental obligation to help the vast number of 
Iraqis displaced in Iraq and throughout the region by the war and the 
associated chaos, especially those who have supported America's efforts 
in Iraq.
  In April 2007, Assistant Secretary of State Ellen Sauerbray said the 
United States ``could resettle up to 25,000 Iraqi refugees this year.'' 
In May 2007, Under Secretary Paula Dobriansky said, ``We are committed 
to honoring our moral debt to those Iraqis who have provided assistance 
to the United States military and embassy.'' On June 8, Secretary Rice 
said ``the people that I'm most worried about in the near term are the 
people who've worked with us who might be subject to recrimination and 
reprisal. And we're trying to step up our efforts on their behalf.''
  It is essential for the United States to develop a comprehensive and 
effective approach to meet the rapidly growing needs of Iraq's refugees 
and internally displaced persons, especially those who are associated 
with the United States.
  The legislation I am introducing today with Senators Smith, Biden, 
Hagel, Leahy, Levin, and Lieberman seeks to accomplish these goals.
  First, the legislation would create a special category of applicants 
for refugee status in Iraq. Those eligible for this program, a P-2 
category for refugees of special humanitarian concern, would be the 
Iraqis most closely associated with the United States. Iraqis who 
qualify would be those, 1. who have been employed by or worked directly 
with the U.S. Government in Iraq; or, 2. who were employed in Iraq by a 
media or nongovernmental organization based in the United States or by 
an organization or entity that has received a grant from, or entered 
into a cooperative agreement or contract with, the U.S. Government; or, 
3. who are spouses, children, sons, daughters, siblings and parents of 
those who worked for or with us; or, 4. who are members of religious or 
minority communities and have close family members in the U.S.
  Those eligible would not have to be referred to our Government by the 
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees or a U.S. Embassy. All 
applicants, however, would need to demonstrate a well-founded fear of 
persecution. Applicants would be required to go through recently 
approved extensive security screening.
  P-2 visas for these refugees would come out of the overall authorized 
admissions number for the refugee program, currently established at 
70,000. That figure is determined every year by the President in close 
consultation with the Congress.
  In addition to the new P-2 category of refugee applications, the 
legislation would expand the current U.S. Government program which 
provides special immigrant visas only to Iraqi and Afghan translators 
and interpreters. Those eligible for the expanded special immigrant 
visa program are Iraqis who have been employed by or worked directly 
with the United States for 1 year in the aggregate since 2003, and need 
not have served as a translator or interpreter for the military or 
Department of State.
  Applicants for SIV visas would not need to demonstrate a well-founded 
fear of persecution, but they would need to meet security requirements, 
demonstrate that they provided faithful service to our Government, and 
provide a recommendation or evaluation. The Secretary of State would be 
required to provide applicants with protection or immediate removal 
from Iraq if they are in immediate danger. Five thousand of these visas 
would be available yearly for 5 years.
  Importantly, our legislation requires the Secretary of State to 
establish a program for processing P-2 refugees and SIV applicants in 
Iraq and in countries in the region. The Secretary would be required to 
report to the Congress within 60 days on plans to establish this 
program. Currently, there is no mechanism for applying for refugee 
status in Iraq. Those fleeing persecution and seeking refugee status 
must find their way to Jordan or Syria, locate an official from the 
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, and then be referred to 
the U.S. Government by the United Nations. Because of the growing 
violence and risk for those associated with the United States, we need 
to find a way to address this problem for Iraqis inside Iraq. Our bill 
does not eliminate the referral system through the United Nations, or 
any other existing system, but it does create an essential mechanism 
for direct applications in country.
  To oversee the implementation of this new program, the Secretary of 
State would be required to establish in the Embassy in Baghdad a 
Minister Counselor for Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons. This 
senior official would be responsible for overseeing the in-country 
processing of P-2 refugee and special immigrant visa applicants, and 
would have authority to refer them directly to the U.S. refugee 
resettlement program.

  A parallel position would be created in the American embassies in 
Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria to oversee the application process of 
P-2 refugees of special humanitarian concern. SIV applicants would work 
through regular consular channels in embassies in those countries.
  Recognizing that the United States can only resettle a small number 
of the most vulnerable refugees within our borders, the Secretary of 
State would be required to consult with other countries about 
resettlement of refugee populations, develop mechanisms in countries 
with significant populations of displaced Iraqis to ensure the 
refugees' well-being and safety, and provide assistance to the 
countries in doing so.
  In addition, the legislation would allow Iraqis denied asylum after 
March 2003 based on changed conditions to file a new petition with an 
immigration judge to reopen their cases. Those denied asylum, for 
example, on the grounds that Saddam Hussein is no longer in power and 
the United States is committed to building democracy in Iraq should be 
permitted to make their case again before a judge.
  After 90 days, and annually thereafter, the President would be 
required to submit an unclassified report to

[[Page S7893]]

Congress with a classified annex if necessary, assessing the financial, 
security, personnel, considerations and resources necessary to 
establish the programs required in the act. After 90 days, the 
Secretary of Homeland Security would be required to submit a report to 
Congress outlining plans to expedite processing of Iraqi refugees, 
including a temporary expansion of the Refugee Corps, and plans to 
enhance existing systems for conducting background and security checks 
for Iraqis applying through the program.
  More than 5 years ago, Arthur Helton, perhaps this country's 
staunchest advocate for the rights of refugees wrote, ``Refugees matter 
. . . for a wide variety of reasons . . . Refugees are a product of 
humanity's worst instincts--the willingness of some persons to oppress 
others--as well as some of its best instincts--the willingness of many 
to assist and protect the helpless . . . In personal terms, we care 
about refugees because of the seed of fear that lurks in all of us that 
can be stated so simply: it could be me.''
  A year later, Arthur Helton gave his life for his beliefs. He was 
killed in Baghdad in 2003 while meeting with U.N. Special Envoy Sergio 
Vieira de Mello when a bomb destroyed the U.N. headquarters in Iraq.
  But his words resonate today, especially when we consider the very 
human cost of the war in Iraq, and its tragic effect on the millions of 
Iraqis, men, women, and children, who have fled their homes and their 
country to escape the violence of a nation at war with itself.
  America has a special obligation to keep faith with the Iraqis who 
now have a bulls-eye on their back because of their association with 
our Government.
  At a hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee in January, chilling 
testimony was presented about the dangers Iraqis face because of their 
association with America.
  One Iraqi, Sami, was a translator for U.S. and Coalition forces and 
who now lives in the United States. He said, ``I too, have been 
targeted for my death. My name was listed on the doors of several 
mosques calling for my death. Supposed friends of mine saw my name on 
the list and turned on me because they believed I was traitor . . . In 
June 2006, I learned that I had been granted special status. As a 
result, today I live free from the fear of persecution and threats to 
my life that I faced on a daily basis in Iraq. My hope is that all 
brave Iraqis who worked and braved so much will have the same chance as 
I have had to live in freedom.''

  Another Iraqi, John, worked as a water service man for U.S. troops. 
He said, ``My wife, my six children and myself fled Iraq after 
terrorist groups targeted me and my family because I aided the 
Americans by supplying water to their service camps.''
  Ken Bacon, president of Refugees International, summed it up well 
when he said, ``There is a large group of Iraqis who have risked their 
lives to support the United States . . . people are sacrificing their 
lives to help the United States.''
  The legislation has been endorsed by organizations including Refugees 
International, Refugee Council USA which encompasses Amnesty 
International USA, Arab-American and Chaldean Council, Chaldean 
Federation of America, Church World Service/Immigration and Refugee 
Program, Episcopal Migration Ministries, Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, 
Human Rights First, International Rescue Committee, Jesuit Refugee 
Service/USA, Jubilee Campaign USA, Lutheran Immigration and Refugee 
Services, Migration & Refugee Services/United States Conference of 
Catholic Bishops, Southeast Asia Resource Action Center, U.S. Committee 
for Refugees and Immigrants, Women's Commission for Refugee Women and 
Children, and WorId Relief, the International Rescue Committee, and the 
PEN American center.
  I urge my colleagues to support this legislation in order to keep the 
faith with those many brave Iraqis whose lives are in jeopardy because 
of their association with our forces in Iraq.
  I ask unanimous consent that the letters of suport be printed in the 
Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

                                          Refugee Council USA,

                                    Washington, DC, June 13, 2007.
     Hon. Edward M. Kennedy,
     U.S. Senate, Russell Senate Office Building,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Senator Kennedy: On behalf of a diverse coalition of 
     human rights, faith-based and refugee advocacy organizations 
     around the country, we write to express our support for your 
     legislation addressing the Iraqi refugee crisis unfolding in 
     the Middle East Region.
       As you know over two million refugees from Iraq are 
     struggling to survive ound the region, and an additional two 
     million are displaced within the country. Forced to flee 
     because they practice a disfavored religion, were born into a 
     marginalized minority, or agreed to work in support of the 
     U.S. government, many of these refugees have no access to 
     housing, health care or education. Although many of the 
     refugees had temporary permission to remain in Jordan or 
     Syria, they have now overstayed their visas to avoid 
     desperate conditions back in Iraq. These refugees live in 
     constant fear of being forcibly returned to Iraq, where they 
     face death threats and further persecution. Many have already 
     lost spouses, children and siblings to kidnappings and 
     executions.
       Although aware of this crisis, the United States has thus 
     far failed to take the meaningful steps necessary to provide 
     protection to these refugees and internally displaced 
     persons. Your legislation is a welcome step in addressing the 
     pressing protection needs of Iraqis.
       Of particular concern to the United States are the men, 
     women and children who face targeted persecution from 
     insurgents due to their association with U.S. coalition 
     forces--individuals who served as translators, drivers, 
     doctors, and other contractors and employees of the United 
     States, U.S. allies, and international NGOs serving in the 
     region. The United States has a responsibility to provide 
     protection for individuals who have put their lives on the 
     line for the United States and who are consequently facing 
     persecution due to this association. Your legislation commits 
     the U.S. government to provide support and protection to 
     Iraqi refugees and internally displaced persons in the 
     rygion. In doing so it recognizes our nation's longstanding 
     tradition of extending protection to people who are targeted 
     because of their political opinions, ethnicity, or religion, 
     among other reasons. As a result, we stand in support of this 
     important effort.
           Sincerely,
                                               C. Richard Parkins,
                                       Chair, Refugee Council USA.
       On behalf of the following organizations:
       Sarnata Reynolds, Refugee Program Director, Amnesty 
     International USA.
       Radwan Khoury, Executive Director and COO, Arab-American 
     and Chaldean Council.
       Joseph Kassab, Executive Director, Chaldean Federation of 
     America.
       Joseph Roberson, Director, Church World Service/lmmigration 
     and Refugee Program.
       C. Richard Parkins, Director, Episcopal Migration 
     Ministries.
       Tsehaye Teferra, President, Ethiopian Community Development 
     Council.
       Gideon Aronoff, President & CEO, Hebrew Immigrant Aid 
     Society (HIAS).
       Elisa Massimino, Washington Director, Human Rights First.
       Robert Carey, Vice President, Resettlement, International 
     Rescue Committee.
       Fr. Kenneth Gavin, S.J., National Director, Jesuit Refugee 
     Service/USA
       Ann Buwalda, Executive Director, Jubilee Campaign USA.
       Ralston H. Deffenbaugh, Jr., President, Lutheran 
     Immigration and Refugee Service.
       Mark Franken, Executive Director, Migration & Refugee 
     Services/United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
       Doua Thor, Executive Director, Southeast Asia Resource 
     Action Center.
       Lavinia Limon, President & CEO, U.S. Committee for Refugees 
     and Immigrants.
       Carolyn Makinson, Executive Director, Women's Commission 
     for Refugee Women and Children.
       Stephan Bauman, Senior Vice President, Programs World 
     Relief.
                                  ____

                                                     June 8, 2007.
     Senator Edward M. Kennedy,
     Russell Senate Office Building,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Senator Kennedy, I am writing to endorse your 
     legislation to address the rapidly escalating crisis of Iraqi 
     refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs). We applaud 
     your bold effort to provide a comprehensive framework to meet 
     the growing needs of Iraq's two million internally displaced 
     and the two million refugees in the region.
       Refugees International believes that the United States has 
     a special obligation to Iraqi refugees. This is the fastest 
     growing refugee crisis in the world, and your legislation 
     will bring greatly needed change in American policy, which 
     has been too slow in its response to this humanitarian 
     crisis. Currently, the Office of the United Nations High 
     Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) estimates that near two 
     million Iraqis have fled their homes and moved to other parts 
     of Iraq to escape sectarian conflict, political reprisals and 
     the insecurity that is increasingly prevalent in south and 
     central Iraq. In addition, UNHCR estimates that another 2.2 
     million Iraqis have left the country to find refuge 
     throughout the Middle East.
       While Syria and Jordan have been generous to refugees and 
     deserve international

[[Page S7894]]

     recognition for accepting them in large numbers, the burdens 
     of the large refugee population are an increasing strain on 
     their societies and economies. It is clear that the rapidly 
     escalating refugee and IDP populations are not only grave 
     humanitarian concern, but also a security concern for the 
     region. The Iraq Study Group. among others, highlighted the 
     destabilizing effect the escalating refugee crisis may have, 
     and called upon the United States to take the lead in 
     providing assistance to the refugees.
       Your legislation is a greatly needed effort to address this 
     crisis and ensure that the United States take the lead in 
     accepting responsibility for providing safety and security 
     for greater numbers of Iraqi refugees and IDPs. It is 
     abundantly clear that we need to create a P-2 category for 
     Iraqis closely associated with our effort in Iraq. Likewise, 
     the expansion of the Special Immigrant Visa program keeps 
     faith with those who have worked most closely with our 
     government. The bill's requirement for in country processing 
     of refugees is absolutely essential to enable persons with 
     credible fears of persecution to more effectively and 
     expeditiously begin the process of seeking refugee status in 
     Iraq.
       Refugees International is presently conducting its third 
     mission to Iraq and the region since last November and has 
     found that the refugees are increasingly dispirited and 
     desperate for assistance. We will strongly encourage the 
     Senate to approve your legislation as an essential step to 
     address this growing crisis and allow the U.S. to fulfill its 
     share of the responsibility for assistance and protection for 
     Iraqi refugees.
           Sincerely,
                                                     Ken H. Bacon,
      President.
                                  ____



                               International Rescue Committee,

                                       New York, NY, June 6, 2007.
     Hon. Edward M. Kennedy,
     Russell Senate Office Building,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Ted: On behalf of the International Rescue Committee 
     (IRC). I write in support of the legislation you are 
     introducing today to address the critical issue of Iraqi 
     refugees and internally displaced persons.
       As you know, the Iraqi refugee crisis represents the 
     greatest displacement of people in the Middle East in nearly 
     60 years, with more than two million Iraqis living as 
     refugees in neighboring countries and another two million 
     internally displaced within their own borders. To date, the 
     U.S. response has failed to reflect the magnitude of the 
     crisis.
       As both an international aid organization and a U.S. 
     refugee resettlement agency, the IRC has long advocated for a 
     comprehensive U.S. response to the Iraqi refugee crisis that 
     addresses the essential components of humanitarian 
     assistance, protection in the region, and the admission to 
     the U.S. of vulnerable Iraqis. Your legislation takes such a 
     comprehensive approach.
       We believe strongly in a humanitarian aid package that 
     addresses the shelter, health, nutrition, education, and 
     general protection needs of both the refugees and the 
     internally displaced. We also support increased opportunities 
     for the admission to the United States of Iraqis at risk 
     because of association with Americans or because they are 
     from religious, ethnic, minority, or other communities at 
     special risk. While admission to the United States as 
     refugees or special immigrants will be available to only a 
     small fraction of vulnerable Iraqis, these options will save 
     lives and will help convince host countries to keep their 
     doors open.
       We thank you for your continued leadership in U.S. refugee 
     protection, and we look forward to working with you to help 
     ensure the enactment of this critical legislation.
           Sincerely,
     George Rupp.
                                  ____



                                          PEN American Center,

                                                    June 11, 2007.
     Senator Edward Kennedy,
     Russell Senate Office Building,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Senator Kennedy, We are writing on behalf of the 3,400 
     members of PEN American Center to express our continuing 
     gratitude for your efforts to address the Iraqi refugee 
     crisis, and to offer our strong support for the Refugee 
     Crisis in Iraq Act.
       PEN American Center is the largest of 144 centers of 
     International PEN, the worldwide association of writers that 
     strives to protect writers and freedom of expression and 
     promote the free exchange of literature and ideas around the 
     globe. In keeping with this mission, for nearly two years PEN 
     has been working to resettle Iraqi translators, journalists, 
     and writers who have been targeted for death and forced into 
     hiding in Iraq or neighboring countries for their efforts 
     build a safe, free, and open society in Iraq. Thanks largely 
     to our colleagues at Norwegian PEN, a handful of these men 
     and women and their families have found safe havens in 
     northern Europe. But to date, despite the extreme sacrifices 
     so many Iraqis made to help Americans navigate the political 
     and social realities of their country and encourage their 
     fellow citizens to reject violence and extremism and support 
     a pluralistic Iraq, we have not yet successfully assisted a 
     single one of our colleagues in reaching the United States.
       In recent months, as the world has come to recognize the 
     magnitude of the refugee crisis in Iraq, the United States 
     government has taken some important steps to open the way for 
     a limited number of Iraqi refugees to be resettled in this 
     country. With assistance from the U.S. Department of State, a 
     small number of those on whose behalf PEN has been working 
     have been screened by the United Nations High Commission for 
     Refugees in Syria and referred to the United States for 
     resettlement. But the process is complicated, protracted, and 
     at times hostile. Forbidden from working in Syria, they have 
     exhausted their financial resources long before the process 
     will be completed, and those who had the closest associations 
     with Coalition Forces and U.S. contractors have found that 
     the stigma of ``collaborators'' has followed them across the 
     border. Even so, these are the extremely fortunate few. No 
     avenue whatsoever exists for their counterparts still in Iraq 
     to seek refugee resettlement or relief. Even translators who 
     served honorably as interpreters for U.S. forces, sustained 
     serious combat wounds, survived assassination attempts, and 
     live in constant fear they will be recognized and killed have 
     no access to refugee processing inside Iraq.
       The Refugee Crisis in Iraq Act directly addresses several 
     of these glaring inadequacies in our country's current 
     approach to the Iraqi refugee crisis. Taking particular note 
     of the United States' obligation to those who worked with and 
     are therefore endangered by their association with U.S.-based 
     organizations and institutions, it significantly expands the 
     numbers of Iraqis to be resettled in the United States and 
     creates direct, efficient mechanisms for Iraqis to petition 
     for resettlement. It expands and streamlines the Special 
     Immigrant visa program for Iraqi and Afghan translators and 
     interpreters, and creates a new P-2 visa category for Iraqi 
     refugees of special humanitarian concern, a category that 
     includes Iraqi writers, journalists, and media workers who 
     worked with and for U.S.-based media organizations in Iraq. 
     Perhaps most significantly, it requires the United States to 
     establish direct visa processing outside the UNHCR system in 
     neighboring countries and, for the first time, inside Iraq. 
     We strongly support these proposals.
       How history views the United States' intervention in Iraq 
     will be colored in part by how we respond to the needs of 
     those who took great risks to try to build a new Iraq and who 
     fear for their lives as a result. PEN is grateful for your 
     leadership in pressing the United States to act on its 
     responsibilities to the growing number of Iraqi refugees, and 
     we are honored to endorse this important legislation.
           Sincerely,
                                                   Francine Prose,
                                                        President.
                                                      Larry Siems,
     Director,
                                  ____



                                            Human Rights First

                                                    June 14, 2007.
     Hon. Edward M. Kennedy,
     Russell Senate Office Building,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Senator Kennedy: I write to express Human Rights 
     First's support of your bipartisan legislation, ``The Refugee 
     Crisis in Iraq Act.'' By extending a lifeline to some of 
     Iraq's most vulnerable refugees and displaced people, your 
     bill would begin to fulfill the moral obligation of the 
     United States to protect Iraqi refugees and provide critical 
     assistance to countries that are already sheltering so many 
     Iraqis in the region. We urge swift passage of this important 
     legislation.
       Historically, the United States has led the world in 
     efforts to protect and resettle vulnerable refugees, 
     admitting more than 2.6 million refugees since 1975. In the 
     closing days of the Vietnam War, the United States airlifted 
     more than 131,000 Vietnamese whose close ties to the U.S. 
     effort put them at risk of persecution. In 1999, the United 
     States resettled 14,000 Kosovars whose ethnicity made them 
     vulnerable to persecution.
       The United States is justifiably proud of this strong 
     tradition of providing refuge to the persecuted and 
     assistance to those displaced by war. Yet the 
     administration's response to the Iraqi refugee situation 
     fails utterly to match the scale and urgency of the current 
     crisis. As we mark World Refugee Day next week, the United 
     States will have resettled only 272 Iraqi refugees here since 
     2006.
       This must change. Since 2003, more than 2.2 million Iraqis 
     have fled violence and persecution in their homeland. Many 
     have been targeted because of their work for the United 
     States or with U.S. organizations. Others have been targeted 
     because of their ethnicity or religion. Those who have fled 
     to Jordan and Syria are living in dire conditions. Many are 
     at risk of exploitation, detention, and deportation. They 
     lack access to medical treatment, education for their 
     children, food, and a means of supporting their families. As 
     this crisis grows, the protection of refugees, the 
     institution of asylum, and the stability of the region are 
     all at risk.
       With every day, the situation of Iraqi refugees in the 
     region and of those displaced inside Iraq grows more urgent. 
     It is past time for the United States to lead the 
     international community in addressing this crisis in a 
     comprehensive manner. The United States should begin by 
     swiftly providing safe haven to those at risk because of 
     their work with the United States or with U.S. organizations. 
     In addition, the United States should create an ambitious and 
     aggressive resettlement program to take in other refugees who 
     have been forced to flee from Iraq. Finally, the United 
     States must significantly increase aid to countries in the 
     region that now play host to millions of refugees, in

[[Page S7895]]

     order to ensure adequate care for these refugees and to 
     encourage these neighboring countries to continue to provide 
     asylum to those who flee in search of refuge.
       We believe the United States has a moral obligation to 
     provide a meaningful solution to the Iraqi refugee crisis. 
     Your bill is a vital step towards addressing this growing and 
     complex crisis. As always, we are grateful for your 
     leadership on this issue, and we look forward to working with 
     you to ensure swift passage of this important legislation.
           Sincerely,
                                                  Elisa Massimino,
                           Director of the Washington, DC, Office.

  Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, I am pleased to join Senators Kennedy, 
Smith, Levin, Hagel, Biden, and Lieberman to introduce this important 
legislation. In January of this year, the Judiciary Committee held a 
hearing to examine the plight of Iraq's refugees, during which we heard 
from the State Department, the United Nations High Commissioner for 
Refugees, nongovernmental organizations and individuals, and Iraqi 
citizens who had been targeted for assisting the United States. This 
hearing brought the enormity of the Iraq refugee situation into sharp 
focus and made clear that we must do more to address this crisis and 
provide assistance especially to those Iraqis who have assisted the 
United States with its mission. If enacted, this bill would help the 
United States fulfill the promises it has made to the people of Iraq.
  In February of this year, the Bush administration announced that 
7,000 Iraqi refugees would be permitted to enter the United States in 
2007. Over the last 8 months, however, only 70 Iraqis have been allowed 
into the United States as refugees. Each year there are 20,000 
unallocated slots for refugees that could be applied to Iraq, and an 
additional 5,000 for the Middle East. Yet the Department of Homeland 
Security has admitted approximately 700 Iraqis since the war began in 
2003. We have an obligation to do better than this when an estimated 4 
million Iraqis have been displaced within Iraq or have fled the country 
due to our involvement there. And we have a special obligation to do 
all we can for those Iraqis who have made tremendous sacrifices on 
behalf of the United States and who continue to live under the threat 
of torture and death.
  Refugees International has called the Iraq refugee crisis the fastest 
growing refugee crisis in the world. It is estimated that nearly 2 
million Iraqis have been internally displaced, while another 2 million 
have fled the country, with little more than they could carry. With 
this bill, we show our commitment not to repeat the tragic and immoral 
mistake from the Vietnam era and leave friends without refuge and 
subject to violent reprisals.
  The United States has an obligation to the people of Iraq, and 
especially to those who have assisted the American military in its 
efforts there. When an Iraqi man or woman makes the choice to help the 
United States--whether as an interpreter or in some other role--and 
puts his or her life on the line, the United States bears a special 
responsibility to do what it can to reciprocate the loyalty that so 
many Iraqis have shown us.
  The bill we introduce today will create a new P2 category for 
Refugees of Special Humanitarian Concern. Individuals who have assisted 
the United States, or who have worked for a company, NGO, or other 
entity that has received a grant or contract from the U.S. Government 
would be eligible for status as a refugee of special humanitarian 
concern. In order to implement this new program, the legislation would 
direct the establishment of consular processing facilities in Iraq to 
expedite the resettlement process for those Iraqis and their immediate 
families who qualify under the bill for special relief.
  The bill also sets up a special immigrant visa category for 
individuals who have worked as interpreters or translators for the 
United States for an aggregate of 1 year between 2003 and the present. 
This new program would augment current efforts to provide protection 
for those individuals who have assisted the United States by providing 
interpreter or translation services.
  The legislation would also direct the Secretary of State to establish 
an office of Minister Counselor in the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad. This 
office would be responsible for overseeing the new programs set up 
under this bill, and would be the primary point of contact for eligible 
individuals seeking protection. This official would also have the 
authority to refer individuals directly to the United States Refugee 
Resettlement Program. Additionally, parallel Minister Counselor offices 
would be established in Egypt, Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon to effectuate 
the P2 refugee program.
  The Secretary of State would also be required to work with other 
nations currently hosting Iraqi refugees in order to provide support 
and to help ensure the safety and well-being of Iraqis located in 
countries surrounding Iraq. The legislation would also allow Iraqis who 
applied for asylum in the United States after 2003, and who were denied 
based on changed country conditions due to the overthrow of Saddam 
Hussein, to have those denials reviewed due to the continuing violence 
and dangerous conditions in the country. This change will allow our 
laws to reflect the current reality in Iraq.
  This legislation will help provide some relief to the brave men and 
women who have assisted the United States in Iraq, and will help renew 
the commitment of the United States to the cause of protecting those 
who turn to us for help. I hope all Senators can join with us in 
support of the bill we introduce today.
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