Speech #990101283

Mr. President. a constant theme in all the international problems and conflicts we have seen in recent decades is the movement of refugeesfleeing their lands and homes for all the reasons that lie behind the violence. conflicts. suffering and catastrophes that afflict our time. As I have noted many times. Mr. President. refugee problems are of special concern to the United States. not only because of our countrys long and proud humanitarian tradition in helping them. but because we know that refugees pose critical foreign policy problems that we and the international community cannot ignore. We know from recent history that massive movements of refugees can unbalance the worlds peace and stability as much as any arms race or political or military confrontation. This point is thoughtfully made in the current issue of the Foreign Affairs Journal by Richard Smyser. the Deputy United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. He provides a thorough review of the global refugee crisis we face today. and outlines how dramatically the refugee problem has changed in recent years. Not only have the numbers of refugees escalated. their location and length of stay have also changedtragically. for the worse. Moreover. the frequency of refugee crises has increased. confronting the international community with more. and more difficult. refugee problems every year. As he writes: The nature of the refugee issue has been transformed in very fundamental ways over four decades. It has grown from a continental to a global problem. from one that could be kept at a distance to one that may be very near. The worlds refugee population has expanded manyfold. It has changed from a transient to a semistatic population. Assistance requirements have multiplied. Any crisis anywhere can now produce refugees everywhere. Mr. President. I commend Mr. Smysers article to the attention of the Senate. because he makes as thoughtful a case as I have read on the need to give greater priority and attention to the problems of the worlds refugees. I ask that it be printed in the RECORD.