Speech #860205158

Mr. Speaker. the joint resolution under consideration is designed to implement the participation of the United States in what has been described as World Refugee Year promulgated by the United Nations Assembly in a resolution sponsored by the United Kingdom and cosponsored by this country. In a proclamation issued on May 19. 1959. the President of the United States. in expressing the acceptance of the participation of the United States in the World Refugee Year. ending June 30. 1960. has outlined the extent of our participation. stressing the necessity of additional financial contributions for the rehabilitation of refugees and the need of more opportunities for their resettlement. A substantial financial contribution to the funds of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in the amount of $4 million has already been made by the President pursuant to the authority granted him by the Congress last year. The legislation under consideration is primarily designed to eliminate the remaining camps in Europe in which numbers of refugees have resided for a long period of time. The Committee on the Judiciary reported this Joint resolution by a vote of 30 to 1. I believe. In taking up this joint resolution the committee considered the ability of the United States to absorb more people. having in mind the rate at which our population is increasing. We believe that we have written into this legislation the safeguard which will prevent violence from being done to our basic concept of the admission of immigrants. By that I mean that everybody admitted. assuming this Joint resolution will be adopted. will be required to comply with the provisions of the basic law. In addition. we have set up a provision under which by action of either the House or the Senate the entire program may be terminated within 60 days after the filing of a report by the Attorney General. The joint resolution is designed to offer resettlement opportunities under the existing law. to wit: section 212(d) (5) of the Immigration and Nationality Act. to a number of refugees which will be determined depending on how many refugees are admitted by other cooperating countries. Time is of the essence because the special refugee programs originated in the World Refugee Year should. of course. start in that year. if the participating countries are to implement what they have undertaken to do. Any delay in the enactment of this legislation will tend to impair the position of leadership which the United States has assumed in the field of internationally concerted humanitarian efforts. In addition to that. there is a very important session of the Council of the Intergovernmental Committee for European Migration scheduled for the early part of May of this year.