Mr. President. by request. I introduce. for appropriate reference. a bill to amend the Refugee Relief Act of 1953. as amended. to provide 20.000 visas for persons of ethnic Armenian origin. The bill which I am today introducing is very similar to S. 2248 of the first session of the 84th Congress. Hearings were held on this bill in January of last year. and much favorable testimony was developed. although. because of the press of other business. no final action was taken on the bill. There are many people of Armenian extraction living in our country. They have made many splendid contributions to our Nation and to our culture. To permit them now to be reunited with their families abroad. who have heretofore been denied admission into the United States. would be truly consistent with the provisions of the Refugee Relief Act. As was stated last year in the committee hearings. such an amendment as this would rectify a previous omission in the immigration laws which has prevented these very deserving people from seeking refuge in this great land of ours. To admit the 20.000 refugees of Armenian origin as provided by the amendment to the act which I am introducing would signal unmistakably to the remainder of the world that our Nation will not forget persecuted peoples wherever they may be.
Keywords matched
Refugee visas immigration refugees