Speech #960337086

Mr. Speaker. as required by provisions of the Refugee Act of 1980 (Public Law 96212). two consultative meetings were held to consider CXXVI1988Part 24 the Presidents refugee admission and assistance program for fiscal year 1981. At the first meeting. held on September 17. 1980. Chairman RODINO. Congressman FISH. and I heard testimony in support of the Presidents program from Attorney General Benjamin Civiletti and the U.S. Coordinator for Refugee Affairs. Victor Palmieri. At the second meeting. held on September 24. 1980. before the full Judiciary Committee. the witnesses testifying in support of the Presidents proposal were the U.S. Coordinator of Refugee Affairs. Victor Palmieri. the Acting Commissioner of the Immigration and Naturalization Service. David Crosland. and the Director of the Office of Refugee Resettlement of HHS. Roger Winter. The hearing before the full committee will be published as a separate document. I wish to place into the RECORD at this point a summary of the Presidents refugee admission and resettlement proposal for fiscal year 1981 which was submitted to and considered by the members of the Committee on the Judiciary at these two meetings: SUMMARY This is a summary of extensive background materials submitted in "Report to the Congress: Proposed Refugee Admissions and Allocations for Fiscal Year 1981" prepared in compliance with the Refugee Act of 1980. The Act requires that the Committees on the Judiciary of the House and the Senate be provided with information on six areas of concern. a summary of which follows. (1) Nature of the Refugee Situation: The worldwide refugee problem is serious. widespread. longterm and growing. Although several refugeegenerating situations which were resolved during the year resulted In voluntary refugee repatriation to countries including Zimbabwe and Nicaragua. developments In Southeast Asia. the Horn of Africa. Afghanistan and the Caribbean continue to generate large numbers of refugees. In Asia. the number of Indochinese refugees in firstasylum countries hovers around 235.000. Refugees departing for third country resettlement are almost as rapidly replaced by new refugee arrivals who add to the economic. political and social strains on ASEAN countries. In the Soviet Union. the changed character of relations between the United States and the Soviet Union has made departures for Soviet Jews particularly difficult this year. Reports of increased harassment emphasize the need for freedom of movement. In the Near East. over 1.000.000 Afghan refugees. some with special ties to the United States. have fled their country. A growing number of Afghans and other refugees from the region are seeking resettlement outside the region. In Africa. Somalia is providing a haven for over 1.3 million refugees from Ethiopia while additional refugees from Ethiopia and other parts of Africa search for resettlement opiportunitles outside the region. In. Latin America. the movement of people from the Caribbean has provided critical new dimensions to the worldwide refugee problem. (2) Proposed Number and Allocations of Refugee Admissions: Within the framework of the Refugee Act of 1980 and in response to humanitarian needs and foreign policy concerns. the Administration proposes the admission of 217.000 refugees to the United States during Fiscal Year 1981 and the adjustment of status of up to 5.000 persons previously granted asylum in the United States. pursuant to Title II Section 209(b) of the Refugee Act of 1980.1 1See Table I. The proposed 217.000 includes 168.000 from Indochina. 33.000 from the Soviet Union. 4.500 from Eastern Europe. 4.500 from the Near East. 4.000 from Latin America and 3.000 from Africa.