Mr. President. several weeks ago Secretary of State George Shultz announced in conjunction with the administrations fiscal year 1985 Refugee Admissions Program several new initiatives aimed at resolving pressing refugee problems in Southeast Asia. In Secretary Shultz statement. he acknowledged congressional intent through the Refugee Act of 1980 that the U.S. Resettlement Program is intended for refugees of special humanitarian concern to the United States. in accordance with a determination made by the President after appropriate consultation. He reported that the President is proposing an overall worldwide admissions ceiling of 70.000 for 1985 including 10.000 for a separate Orderly Departure Program for political prisoners in Vietnam. Mr. President. on behalf of myself and my Virginia colleague in the other body. Representative FlANK WoLF. we would like to bring this program to the attention of our colleagues. Of the 700.000 Indochinese refugees who have been resettled in the United States since April 1975. manyperhaps as many as 50.000Vietnamese have settled in our State of Virginia. With 20.000 of those refugees in Virginia having been integrated into American society in the northern Virginia area which Congressman WoLF represents. we are greatly interested in the refugee program as set forth by the administration. Included in the 1985 refugee admissions proposal is a restructuring of the U.S. Orderly Departure Program from Vietnam into three separate subprograms which will link two new initiatives with the regular program. The three subprograms would be: The Regular Program. for spouses and children of American citizens. exU.S.
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Refugee refugee refugees