Currently it is estimated that approximately 20.000 persons are awaiting processing in Moscow. Another 9.000 have already left the Soviet Union and await processing near Rome. Under the Refugee Act of 1980. President Reagan determined. in consultation with the Congress. that 24.500 refugees from Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union could be admitted In fiscal year 1989. ending this September. The surge at the beginning of the year in Soviet refugee applications is the type of "unforseen refugee emergency" contemplated by section 207(b) of the Immigration and Naturalization Act. President Bush has determined that it would be inconsistent with our longstanding commitment to assisting refugees from the Soviet Union not to take steps to continue admitting Soviet refugees from Rome and to alleviate the backlog in Moscow. Thus. the administrationagain after consultating with the Congress as provided by the Refugee Acthas recently acted to increase the number of Eastern Europe and Soviet Union admittances from 24.500 to 50.000 this fiscal year. It has asked Congress for additiunal funding of $100 million to carry this and other related actions out. It is the administrations intent to use 43.500 of the 50.000 for Soviet refugees. Proponents of H.R. 2022 have not contended that additional allocations are needed. They propose no additional funding.
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Immigration Refugee Naturalization refugees refugee