[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 743 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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118th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. RES. 743
Reaffirming the importance of the United States promoting the safety,
health, and well-being of refugees and displaced persons in the United
States and around the world.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
June 20, 2024
Mr. Cardin (for himself, Mr. Bennet, Mr. Blumenthal, Mr. Booker, Mr.
Coons, Ms. Duckworth, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Fetterman, Mr. Hickenlooper, Mr.
Kaine, Ms. Klobuchar, Mr. Markey, Mr. Menendez, Mr. Merkley, Mr.
Murphy, Mrs. Murray, Mr. Padilla, Mr. Schatz, Mrs. Shaheen, Mr. Van
Hollen, Mr. Welch, Mr. Wyden, and Mr. Whitehouse) submitted the
following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign
Relations
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Reaffirming the importance of the United States promoting the safety,
health, and well-being of refugees and displaced persons in the United
States and around the world.
Whereas June 20, 2024 is an international day designated by the United Nations
as ``World Refugee Day,'' to recognize refugees around the globe and
celebrate the strength and courage of people who have been forced to
flee their homes to escape conflict or persecution due to their race,
religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular
social group;
Whereas July 28, 2024 is the 73rd anniversary of the adoption of the Convention
relating to the Status of Refugees, held at Geneva on July 28, 1951,
which defines the term ``refugee'' and outlines the rights of refugees
and the legal obligations of nation states to protect such rights;
Whereas, in 2024, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (referred to
in this resolution as ``UNHCR'') reported that--
(1) at the end of 2023, there were more than 117,000,000 displaced
people who had been forced from their homes worldwide, which is more
displaced people than at any other time in recorded history, including more
than 31,600,000 refugees, 6,900,000 asylum seekers, and 68,300,000
internally displaced persons;
(2) 75 percent of all refugees worldwide are hosted in low- and middle-
income countries and fewer than 1 percent of refugees are ever resettled;
(3) 73 percent of the world's refugees originate from 5 countries,
namely Afghanistan, Syria, Venezuela, Ukraine, and Sudan;
(4) more than 50 percent of the population of Syria (approximately
13,800,000 people) have been displaced since the beginning of the Syrian
civil war in 2011, either exiting Syria across an international border or
going to other areas within Syria;
(5) as of June 2024, 9,700,000 Ukrainians are displaced as a result of
Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine, which is an estimated \1/6\ of
Ukraine's pre-war population, including more than 6,400,000 Ukrainian
refugees;
(6) there are an estimated 6,400,000 Afghan refugees around the world,
of whom 90 percent are hosted in either Iran or Pakistan;
(7) Latin America and the Caribbean currently host 84 percent of the
more than 7,000,000 Venezuelan refugees and migrants globally, and the
Americas currently host approximately 20,000,000 refugees, asylum-seekers,
and stateless people from around the world;
(8) as of June 2024, more than 9,000,000 people are displaced due to
the ongoing conflict in Sudan, including nearly 2,000,000 refugees who have
fled to neighboring countries, many of whom are women or children;
(9) as of May 2024, more than 360,000 people were internally displaced
in Haiti due to widespread violence in the prior year;
(10) between October 2023 and June 2024, approximately 75 percent of
the population of Gaza (approximately 1,700,000 people) have been
internally displaced;
(11) as of April 2024, there were approximately 6,800,000 internally
displaced people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo as a result of
violence between armed groups;
(12) as of May 2024, nearly 1,000,000 Rohingya refugees resided in
Bangladesh, with thousands more refugees throughout the region, and an
estimated 45,000 newly displaced Rohingya people fled to the border of
Burma and Bangladesh in 2024 amidst renewed violence in Rakhine State, with
the potential for increased refugee flows in the coming months as violence
continues; and
(13) as of May 2024, in the Sahel region, which encompasses Burkina
Faso, Mali, and Niger, nearly 4,800,000 people have been forced to flee
their homes;
Whereas welcoming people from around the world who have been oppressed and
persecuted is a tenet of our Nation, and the United States is home to a
diverse population of refugees and immigrants who contribute to the
economic strengths and cultural richness of our communities;
Whereas, since seeking asylum is a protected right under United States domestic
and international law, the United States is legally obligated to
contribute to the maintenance of a humane and functioning international
asylum system;
Whereas the principle of non-refoulement is also a central tenet of the United
States refugee and asylum systems, and thousands of people living in the
United States who immigrated from countries around the world would be
subject to harm if they were deported to their countries of origin due
to widespread conflict or persecution in such countries;
Whereas the United States Refugee Admissions Program, which was established in
1980--
(1) is a lifesaving pillar of global humanitarian efforts;
(2) advances United States national security and foreign policy goals;
and
(3) supports regional host countries;
Whereas resettlement is an essential part of a comprehensive strategy to respond
to refugee crises, promote regional stability, and strengthen United
States national security;
Whereas resettlement to the United States is available for the most vulnerable
refugees who undergo rigorous security vetting and medical screening
processes;
Whereas the United States supports the efforts of the UNHCR to increase
protection for, and the global resettlement of, LGBTQI+ refugees
overseas;
Whereas women and girls have an increased risk of sexual violence, exploitation,
and trafficking while they are traveling to seek safe living conditions;
Whereas through the United States Refugee Admissions Program--
(1) the number of refugees who have arrived in the United States
increased from only 11,411 during fiscal year 2021 to 60,014 during fiscal
year 2023;
(2) as of May 31, 2024, more than 60,000 refugees had arrived in the
United States during fiscal year 2024; and
(3) the Biden Administration continues to actively pursue its stated
goal of 125,000 refugee admissions during fiscal year 2024;
Whereas refugee resettlement organizations, businesses, and other community and
faith-based groups offer support for refugees who resettle in the United
States, and groups of private citizens are now supporting newly arrived
refugees through Welcome Corps, the refugee sponsorship initiative under
the United States Refugee Admissions Program;
Whereas, between 2005 and 2019, refugees and asylees in the United States
contributed an estimated $581,000,000,000 in total revenue across all
levels of government;
Whereas robust funding for international and domestic protection and assistance
for refugees and other displaced populations bolsters United States
national security, foreign policy, economic, and humanitarian interests;
and
Whereas most refugees integrate and quickly become self-sufficient members of
their respective communities by joining the workforce, paying taxes,
supporting local commerce, helping to address labor demand in critical
industries, and creating new jobs: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) recognizes the urgency to establish and follow
comprehensive, fair, and humane policies to address forced
migration and refugee challenges;
(2) 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 fleeing
war, persecution, or torture in search of protection, peace,
hope, and freedom;
(3) recognizes the many individuals who have risked their
lives working, either individually or on behalf of
nongovernmental organizations or international agencies, such
as UNHCR, to provide lifesaving assistance and protection for
people around the world who have been displaced from their
homes;
(4) reaffirms the imperative to fully restore United States
asylum protections enshrined in the Refugee Act of 1980 (Public
Law 96-212) by rejecting harmful bans and restrictions that
limit refugees' access to protections and due process at the
United States border;
(5) reaffirms the importance of the United States Refugee
Admissions Program as a critical tool of the United States
Government--
(A) to strengthen national and regional security;
and
(B) to encourage international solidarity with host
countries; and
(6) calls upon the Secretary of State, the Secretary of
Homeland Security, the Secretary of Health and Human Services,
and the United States Ambassador to the United Nations--
(A) to uphold the United States international
leadership role in responding to displacement crises
with humanitarian assistance, and strengthening its
leadership role in the protection of vulnerable refugee
populations that endure gender-based violence, torture,
human trafficking, persecution, and violence against
religious minorities, forced conscription, genocide,
and exploitation;
(B) to work in partnership with the international
community to find solutions to existing conflicts,
prevent new conflicts from emerging, and tackle the
root causes of involuntary migration;
(C) 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;
(D) to continue to alleviate pressures, through
humanitarian and development assistance, on frontline
refugee host countries that absorb the majority of the
world's refugees, while effectively advocating for
refugee well-being, including access to education and
livelihoods;
(E) to meaningfully include refugees and displaced
populations in creating and achieving the policy
solutions affecting them;
(F) to respond to the global refugee crisis by
meeting robust refugee admissions goals;
(G) to implement the United States pledges made at
the Global Refugee Forum held in Geneva in December
2023 to expand refugee protection;
(H) to address barriers faced by refugees with
disabilities by ensuring accessible infrastructure and
the availability of disability-related services and
social protection schemes; and
(I) to reaffirm the goals of ``World Refugee Day''
and reiterate the United States strong commitment to
protect refugees and asylum seekers who live without
adequate material, social, or legal protections.
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