[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 684 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
<DOC>
117th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. RES. 684
Reaffirming the importance of the United States to promote the safety,
health, and well-being of refugees and displaced persons.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
June 21, 2022
Mr. Menendez (for himself, Mr. Leahy, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Markey, Mr.
Murphy, Mr. Whitehouse, Mr. Kaine, 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
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Reaffirming the importance of the United States to promote the safety,
health, and well-being of refugees and displaced persons.
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.
<all>