[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 105 (Tuesday, June 21, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3032-S3033]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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SENATE RESOLUTION 684--REAFFIRMING THE IMPORTANCE OF THE UNITED STATES 
TO PROMOTE THE SAFETY, HEALTH, AND WELL-BEING OF REFUGEES AND DISPLACED 
                                PERSONS

  Mr. MENENDEZ (for himself, Mr. Leahy, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Markey, Mr. 
Murphy, Mr. Whitehouse, Mr. Kaine,

[[Page S3033]]

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:

                              S. Res. 684

       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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