[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 120 (Wednesday, June 23, 2010)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 35951-35952]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-15404]


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  Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 120 / Wednesday, June 23, 2010 / 
Presidential Documents  

[[Page 35951]]


                Proclamation 8538 of June 18, 2010

                
World Refugee Day, 2010

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                On World Refugee Day, we honor the contributions and 
                resilience of those forced to flee from their homelands 
                due to violence, persecution, or natural disasters. The 
                hard-earned wisdom, diverse experiences, and unceasing 
                courage of refugees enrich our Nation and strengthen 
                our unique narrative--that America stands as a beacon 
                of hope and opens our doors to those in need. Today, we 
                celebrate the triumph of the human spirit exemplified 
                by these displaced individuals, and acknowledge the 
                compassion of those who welcome them into their homes 
                and communities.

                This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Refugee Act 
                of 1980. This historic legislation championed by 
                Senator Edward M. Kennedy created the current Federal 
                Refugee Resettlement Program and codified into law the 
                right to asylum for refugees. Through the Refugee Act 
                and continued humanitarian aid, America's leadership in 
                international relief efforts and in defense of human 
                rights has helped expand protections for countless 
                refugees, internally displaced persons, and other 
                victims around the world.

                Some refugees face bleak prospects of returning to 
                their native soil, and they must find security in 
                peaceful areas. Many uprooted people have found safe 
                haven in America, bringing with them determination and 
                optimism to contribute to our cultural, economic, and 
                intellectual fabric. Welcoming more refugee men, women, 
                and children than any other country, the United States 
                has provided a home to some of the world's most 
                vulnerable individuals, enriching our own country and 
                advancing our leadership in the world.

                Refugees face daunting challenges in an unfamiliar 
                society with new rules, new resources, and often a new 
                language. Yet, in spite of all they have faced--
                harrowing acts of violence or devastation, flight 
                across borders in search of aid and shelter, uncertain 
                and often prolonged stays in camps, and travel to a 
                strange country--refugees are survivors. Living in the 
                United States presents an opportunity to move forward, 
                one that countless refugees from all over the globe 
                have embraced. Their remarkable determination to 
                rebuild a brighter future after great adversity 
                embodies our Nation's promise and spirit of boundless 
                possibility.

                On June 20, we recognize the past 30 years of refugee 
                resettlement and protection in the United States as a 
                demonstration of our overall efforts in support of 
                people in need around the world. Recognizing the 
                continuing challenges and barriers faced by refugees, 
                my Administration has undertaken a comprehensive review 
                of the United States Refugee Admissions Program, with 
                the goal of strengthening support for refugees and 
                those who assist them. This will build on the vital 
                work of international organizations like the Office of 
                the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, 
                which provide emergency food, shelter, medical care, 
                and other types of assistance to those uprooted by 
                crisis. As we commemorate World Refugee Day, we 
                recommit to ensuring that the blessings of liberty and 
                opportunity are available to all who seek it.

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the 
                United States of America, by virtue of the authority 
                vested in me by the Constitution

[[Page 35952]]

                and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim 
                June 20, 2010, as World Refugee Day. I call upon all 
                the people of the United States to observe this day 
                with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities.

                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                eighteenth day of June, in the year of our Lord two 
                thousand ten, and of the Independence of the United 
                States of America the two hundred and thirty-fourth.
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 2010-15404
Filed 6-22-10; 11:15 am]
Billing code 3195-W0-P