Speech #960183852

Mr. Chairman. the need for an effective refugee admissions policy is clear. In the past. the approach of Congress to refugee problems has been piecemeal. Furthermore. there has been a lack of coordination between refugee resettlement programs and admissions policies. The upshot of our policies is that the United States has not been able to respond quickly or effectively to emergency dislocations like those that occurred in Vietnam and Cambodia. The next time that a crisis does occur we must be better prepared to handle the refugee problems that arise. The Refugee Act of 1979 attempts to correct inadequacies in our current policies. First. by combining admissions and resettlement programs. the proposed legislation would bring order and efficiency to our policies. Second. by redefining the term "refugee." this legislation would expand our programs to cover refugees all over the world. rather than just those fleeing Communist countries or nations in the Middle East. Third. by increasing the number of refugees that may be admitted to this country from 17.400 to 50.000 and also by allowing the President to exceed that figure if he deems it necessary. this bill would enable us to respond to the mass exoduses that have occurred from places like Indochina. Despite the worthy goals of the committee. particularly its focus on the development of more permanent and comprehensive refugee legislation. the bill needs to be improved. I. therefore. urge support for the following changes: First. Efforts to provide a tightening f the consultation process between Congress and the executive branch regarding efugee admissions. As proposed in this egislation. the President would consult ith the chairman and the ranking aember of the House and Senate Juiciary Committees if he determines that he proposed 50.000 person ceiling hould be exceeded. This procedure. howver. is not adequate. Congressional inut into the refugee admissions process hould be expanded. Full Judiciary Comlittee hearings would provide a forum or increased and necessary congresional participation. Second. The establishment of a sunset rovision which would. in effect. return ie normal flow of refugees to 17.400 fter September 1982. The purpose of ie sunset measure is to insure that the elect Commission on Immigration and efugee Policy is not preempted from ompleting its report and making recomendations regarding the number of immigrants and refugees that the United States should admit. Third. Efforts to relate refugee policy to immigration policy. The proposed legislation does not address the implications of unlimited increases in immigration. although it potentially expands immigration without limits. Refugee assistance is a humanitarian program that we as a nation must support. However. refugee assistance should be part of a comprehensive immigration policy. The United States cannot afford to accept all of the worlds refugees. Nevertheless. we. along with others. should do our fair share. The above changes. in conjunction with the recommendations that will be made by the Select Committee on Immigration and Refugee Policy in 1982. will hopefully point our future immigration and refugee policies in the right direction.o