Speech #1140082873

For 2 years his policy of confusion. delay. and paralysis has failed to stop these terrorists. An entirely new approach that has the United States in the lead of a determined coalition is badly needed. but it is not only President Obamas strategic approach that is illconsidered. His policy on Syrian refugee resettlement is as well. Because the United States unwisely relies on the United Nations for all referrals of refugees seeking resettlement in the United States. Christians and other religious minorities fleeing persecution are the victims of unintentional discrimination when seeking asylum and protection in the United States. Last year. of the 1.790 Syrian refugees resettled in the United States. only 41 were religious minorities. Of that 41. 29 were Christian. That means that while 13 percent of Syrias prewar population consisted of religious minorities. only 2.3 percent of the refugees who make it to the United States are religious minorities. Without doubt. Syrians of all confessions are being victimized by this savage war and are facing unimaginable suffering. but only Christians and other religious minorities are the deliberate targets of systemic persecution and genocide. Their ancient communities are at risk of extermination. Their ancestral homes and religious sites are being erased from the Middle Eastern map. Christians and other minorities should not be shut out from the small number of refugees who find shelter in the United States. We ought to help ensure that these faith communities survive. but why are Christians underrepresented among the refugees? There are a number of factors. Perhaps chief among them is that the United States. for all intents and purposes. relies exclusively on the U.N. refugee agency to identify candidates for resettlement. According to the State Department. less than 1 percent of the thousands of Syrian refugees referred by the U.N. to the United States are religious minorities. Let me stress that this underrepresentation is not the result of intentional discrimination. The U.N. does praiseworthy and hard work in relieving the suffering of refugees around the world and. as a result. improving the security and stability of nations in and near conflict and disaster zones. but it is well established that many religious minorities in Syria are very reluctant to register as refugees with the United Nations because they fear facing even more persecution. The U.N. itself has reported that minority communities "fear that registration might bring retribution from other refugees" in camps or other areas in which they sought safe haven. The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom has reported that Christians refrain from registering with the U.N. because they fear being marked for revenge by forces loyal to Bashar alAssad should he remain in power in Syria. Whether these fears are wellfounded or not. the reality is. they exist and they deter Christians from seeking U.N. protection. While the U.N. has sought to educate minority populations on the safety of the registration system. the fact remains that only 1 percent of the millions of Syrian refugees who registered with the U.N. are nonMuslim. The United States ought not to depend solely on the U.N. for refugee resettlement referrals. If we are to do our part in saving ancient faith communities from genocide. we must find alternate ways to identify persecuted people to whom we can grant safe haven. Today I am introducing legislation to create that alternate way.