[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 197 (Friday, October 10, 1997)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 53219-53220]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-27172]


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  Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 197 / Friday, October 10, 1997 / 
Presidential Documents  

[[Page 53219]]


                Presidential Determination No. 97-37 of September 30, 
                1997

                
Presidential Determination on FY 1998 Refugee 
                Admissions Numbers and Authorizations of In-Country 
                Refugee Status Pursuant to Sections 207 and 101(a)(42), 
                Respectively, of the Immigration and Nationality Act, 
                and Determination Pursuant to Section 2(b)(2) of the 
                Migration and Refugee Assistance Act, as Amended

                Memorandum for the Secretary of State

                In accordance with section 207 of the Immigration and 
                Nationality Act (``the Act'') (8 U.S.C. 1157), as 
                amended, and after appropriate consultation with the 
                Congress, I hereby make the following determinations 
                and authorize the following actions:

                The admission of up to 83,000 refugees to the United 
                States during FY 1998 is justified by humanitarian 
                concerns or is otherwise in the national interest; 
                provided, however, that this number shall be understood 
                as including persons admitted to the United States 
                during FY 1998 with Federal refugee resettlement 
                assistance under the Amerasian immigrant admissions 
                program, as provided below.

                The 83,000 admissions shall be allocated among refugees 
                of special humanitarian concern to the United States in 
                accordance with the following regional allocations; 
                provided, however, that the number allocated to the 
                East Asia region shall include persons admitted to the 
                United States during FY 1998 with Federal refugee 
                resettlement assistance under section 584 of the 
                Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related 
                Programs Appropriations Act of 1988, as contained in 
                section 101(e) of Public Law 100-202 (Amerasian 
                immigrants and their family members); provided further 
                that the number allocated to the former Soviet Union 
                shall include persons admitted who were nationals of 
                the former Soviet Union, or in the case of persons 
                having no nationality, who were habitual residents of 
                the former Soviet Union, prior to September 2, 1991:

                                                                        
                                                                        
                                                                        
      Africa...........................................    7,000        
      East Asia........................................   14,000        
      Europe...........................................   51,000        
      Latin America/Caribbean..........................    4,000        
      Near East/South Asia.............................    4,000        
      Unallocated......................................    3,000        
                                                                        


                    Within the Europe ceiling are 5,000 unfunded 
                reserve numbers allocated to the former Soviet Union 
                for use as needed provided that resources within 
                existing appropriations are available to fund the cost 
                of their admission. The 3,000 unfunded unallocated 
                numbers shall be allocated as needed if resources 
                within existing appropriations are available to fund 
                the cost of their admission. Unused admissions numbers 
                allocated to a particular region within the 75,000 
                federally funded ceiling may be transferred to one or 
                more other regions if there is an overriding need for 
                greater numbers for the region or regions to which the 
                numbers are being transferred. You are hereby 
                authorized and directed to consult with the Judiciary 
                Committees of the Congress prior to any such use of the 
                unallocated numbers or reallocation of numbers from one 
                region to another.
                    Pursuant to section 2(b)(2) of the Migration and 
                Refugee Assistance Act of 1962, as amended, 22 U.S.C. 
                2601(b)(2), I hereby determine that assistance

[[Page 53220]]

                to or on behalf of persons applying for admission to 
                the United States as part of the overseas refugee 
                admissions program will contribute to the foreign 
                policy interests of the United States and designate 
                such persons for this purpose.
                    An additional 10,000 refugee admissions numbers 
                shall be made available during FY 1998 for the 
                adjustment to permanent resident status under section 
                209(b) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 
                1159(b)) of aliens who have been granted asylum in the 
                United States under section 208 of the Act (8 U.S.C. 
                1158), as this is justified by humanitarian concerns or 
                is otherwise in the national interest.

                In accordance with section 101(a)(42)(B) of the Act (8 
                U.S.C. 1101(a)(42)) and after appropriate consultation 
                with the Congress, I also specify that, for FY 1998, 
                the following persons may, if otherwise qualified, be 
                considered refugees for the purpose of admission to the 
                United States within their countries of nationality or 
                habitual residence:

                    a. Persons in Vietnam
                    b. Persons in Cuba
                    c. Persons in the former Soviet Union

                You are authorized and directed to report this 
                determination to the Congress immediately and to 
                publish it in the Federal Register.

                    (Presidential Sig.)

                THE WHITE HOUSE,

                    Washington, September 30, 1997.

[FR Doc. 97-27172
Filed 10-9-97; 8:45 am]
Billing code 4710-10-M