If we send them a strong and consistent message that economic and other benefits of a close relationship with the U.S. can be expected to flow to a government if and only if that government treats its own people decently. we are likely to save lives and promote human rights and freedom in the long run. Whatever we do to other governments that persecute religious believers. it is also important that the U.S. put its own house in order. One way we can do this is to monitor and improve our treatment of refugees. with special reference to religious refugees. Unfortunately. in recent years. the U.S. commitment to refugees. both in the amount we spend on protection overseas and the number of refugees we admit into the U.S.. has declined sharply. In the last 4 years. our State Department has asked for and gotten a raise for itself every single year. Yet. the only major account in the Department that has not asked for an increase is the refugee budget. The administrations fiscal year 1999 budget request for refugees was $63 million lower than the amount we spent in fiscal year 1995. And this is when the world is absolutely awash in refugees. The number of refugees admitted to the U.S. has gone down in this administration from 130.000 to 75.000 in only 4 years. These declining resettlement rates encourage firstasylum countries to forcibly repatriate refugees to countries where they face serious danger. For example. in recent years we have seen Tibetan Buddhists forced back from Nepal into the hands of the Chinese Communists. and Iranian Christians and Bahais forced back to Iran from Turkey. We need to reverse that trend and restore the American tradition of a safe haven for the oppressed.
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refugees refugee