[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 107 (Thursday, June 26, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1385]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     RECOGNIZING WORLD REFUGEE DAY

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. ALCEE L. HASTINGS

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 26, 2008

  Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Madam Speaker, last Friday was World Refugee 
Day, a day to reflect and address the growing problem of refugee 
populations worldwide.
  According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees 
(UNHCR), there are more than 11 million refugees living outside their 
countries. Another 26 million are estimated to be internally displaced 
due to conflict alone. I urge my colleagues to address this complex and 
tragic issue.
  Since the beginning of civilization, populations have fled to escape 
violence and persecution and have found sanctuary in foreign lands. In 
1951, the United Nations Refugee Convention was created in order to 
address this issue on an international level. The Convention is the key 
legal document defining who is a refugee, what their rights are, and 
the legal obligations of states to refugees.
  Since 1951, the issue of refugees has grown both in size and in 
complexity. While the Convention was designed to solve the problem of 
World War II refugees, it has broadly extended its scope as the number 
and nationality of refugees dramatically grew over time. For the first 
time in five years, the number of refugees has increased, primarily due 
to a large population exodus from Iraq into neighboring countries. 
Other significant population outflows that have contributed to this 
increase include: The Central African Republic, Chad, Sri Lanka, Sudan, 
and Somalia.
  As this issue grows, it becomes increasingly difficult to address it. 
Today, the reasons leading populations to flee are more diverse. While 
in 1951 the two main causes of departure were poverty and conflict, 
today the causes have expanded to bad governance, climate change, and 
competition for scarce resources. As barriers to human mobility have 
fallen in recent decades, protecting refugees has become even more 
difficult. These new challenges make it even more crucial to find 
adequate and efficient ways to address these issues.
  Moreover, with the increased number of refugees worldwide, many 
countries have started to reverse their policies on granting asylum and 
have begun closing their doors to vulnerable populations. As a result, 
refugees are forced to return to the terrible situations which they 
were originally trying to escape.
  I believe that we can alleviate suffering and save lives if the 
problem is addressed globally, and in cooperation with foreign 
countries and international organizations, such as the United Nations. 
The protection of refugees is an international duty. It is the United 
States' duty to lead these efforts.
  One of the most pressing examples of a burgeoning crisis is the Iraqi 
refugee crisis. Today, there are millions of displaced Iraqis both 
inside and outside of Iraq. Since the beginning of the Iraq war, the 
United States has only welcomed in 8,000 Iraqi refugees while Sweden 
alone has taken in 40,000. The United States has a tremendous 
responsibility to aid these populations. Even more, we have a specific 
obligation to protect our allies in Iraq who risked their lives to help 
our government and our Armed Forces.
  As Chairman of the Helsinki Commission, I have been deeply concerned 
and involved in this issue. Most recently, Senator Benjamin L. Cardin 
(D-MD), my Co-Chairman of the Helsinki Commission, Congressman John D. 
Dingell (D-MI), and I, along with 14 other Members of the House and 
Senate, sent a letter to President Bush questioning the Administration 
over delays in processing threatened Iraqis who have worked for the 
United States government and American organizations in Iraq. In 
particular, the letter urges President Bush to allow the Department of 
Defense to airlift Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) applicants for 
expedited processing to a central processing center outside of Iraq.
  Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me to assist not only 
Iraqi refugee populations but refugees across the globe. The United 
States, a beacon of freedom and democracy, has a longstanding tradition 
of providing aid and protection to refugee populations. I urge my 
colleagues to devote to this issue of growing refugee populations the 
attention and resources it needs and deserves.

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