Indeed. this bill authorizes and anticipates no additional costs to the Federal Government to implement an expanded repayment program. My bill requires that the amount of money collected under the existing I.O.M. repayment system be increased. without increasing the size of the collection system Itself. Under my legislation. refugees will be required to repay the U.S. Government onehalf of the average Federal expenditure per refugee. During the 1989 Annual Consultation on Refugee Admissions. the administration estimated this cost to be $7.000. This number is the average of expenses for all refugees from all areas of the world. according to the administration. Some refugees cost us more than $7.000 to resettle. Some cost us less. This bill assumes that refugees as a group should be responsible for bearIng some increased debt burden. This is the reason for using an acrosstheboard average. This bill also seeks to Improve the rate of collections from refugees. The collection record for the I.O.M. transportation moneys has been very low. The single most important problem with these collections is tracking individual refugees and refugee families once they have arrived in the United States. This bill would improve tracking of refugees by giving the Volags better access to information. Mr. President. this legislation Is equitable and fair. At the same time that an Increased debt is imposed. the State Department is required to exercise maximum forbearance in collecting this debt. The elderly and infirm will be exempt from the new payments. Refugees who have trouble getting on their feet will be given extra time to make their payments. And no refugee will be subject to deportation as a result of nonpayment of this debt. Mr. President.
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Refugees as a group should be responsible for bearing some increased debt burden.