Speech #960254035

No doubt more have arrived by this time and even more would come if they still could do so. In scale and timespan. this precipitate influx of men. women. children seeking freedom is unparalleled in recent American history. In 1950. a previous record year. 133.000 refugees were technically admitted into this counrty. In 1975. 147.000 aliens were admitted. This year we can expect over 340.000 refugees and others seeking political asylum from Indochina. from Cuba. and from all corners of the globe. And these figures do not include the normal annual flow of immigrants to this country. which itself has been rising steadily. The traditional compassionate and humanitarian response of the American people to the plight of refugees and victims of oppression is being severely strained by this sudden flood of humanitv. We as a people do. indeed. care for the welfare of our fellow man. but the everrising numbers entering this country carry social and economic costs which the American people are unable to bear. particularly at this time of economic recession and uncertainty. One rough estimate from OMB puts the immediate financial costs to the American taxpayer for the admittance and resettling of the Cuban refugees at over $380 million. We have consistently welcomed more refugees to our shores than any other country in the world. We do wish to help these homeless people to find a refuge from the storm. but this Nation. despite its history of open arms. cannot be expected to shoulder alone what is in actuality a burden for the whole free world to carry. The suggestion is made in this amendment which I have offered that greater efforts be made to encourage the participation of other nations in the resettlement and financing of the costs of resettlement of the Cuban refugees. This request is consistent with the belief that those who share similar values throughout the world should participate in the defense of those values. If I am not mistaken. all of the Western world shares in a belief that sanctuary should be offered the victims of oppression. Yet. judging by the tentative offers which the worlds nations have made thus far to accept the refugees from Cubathe world is treating this crisis as a purely bilateral matter of little or no concern to them. It would be useful to remind them that it is very much their concern. We should commend those nationsPeru.