Speech #960261027

We cannot conceivably solve the problems of Indochina by accepting its 50 million Vietnamese. 3 million Laotians. or 4 million surviving Cambodians all of whom would undoubtedly find life in the United States more agreeable than in their own countries. By the same token. we cannot accept the entire population of Cuba or Haiti. To date. the administration has coped with the world refugee crisis through a series of ad hoc or interim measures. The time has come to think more comprehensively about U.S. refugee policy. In so doing. we must distinguish between "political" refugees fleeing political. racial. or religious persecution at home and "economic" refugees who are simply seeking a more prosperous life in a new country. Not everyone leaving a repressive country is leaving because of repression. While assuming responsibility for the maintenance. and resettlement of the genuine political refugee. the world community must also recognize an obligation to help improve conditions of life in the refugees home country. It costs far more to resettle a refugee in the United States or Europe than to give him hope in his own country. Many refugees. in fact. have no desire to go any place but home. Afghans. Somalis. and Cambodians displaced by war. pestilence. and famine deserve our compassion and material support as they wait for peace and security at home. The United States must make it clear to the rest of the world that the status quo cannot continue. It is unacceptable for the United States to carry so much of the resettlement burden. It is reprehensible that our immigration laws should be so flagrantly flouted and so ineffectual. It is intolerable that those who come to this country as refugees should abuse by any actions. but especially by violent action. the hospitality of the American people. Since serving as vice president in charge of the International Rescue Committees Hungarian program in 1956. I have been intimately concerned with the care and protection of refugees. From 24 years of experience. I have learned that the fate of a refugee depends directly on the generosity and goodwill of his hosts. No people have been as receptive and as generous to the homeless as our own people. The great tragedy of the administrations present policyor lack of policyis that it threatens to undermine that good will and generosity. The real victims will be the refugees themselves. Now is the time to act.*