,,iii  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session 
,s4 ,,res4 #fgd  ,,in ,,the ,,senate    
,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states  ,august   
#f1 #bjbj,mr4 ,menendez 7for himself and
 ,mr4 ,leahy7 submitted the following   
resolution2 which was referred to the   
,committee on ,foreign ,relations       
,,resolution  ,commemorating ,june #bj1 
#bjbj1 as ,world ,refugee ,day4         
,whereas ,world ,refugee ,day is a      
global event to acknowledge the courage1
 strength1 and determination of women1  
men1 and children who are forced to flee
 their homes due to persecution2        
,whereas1 according to the ,united      
,nations ,high ,commissioner for        
,refugees 7referred to in this preamble 
as 8,,unhcr07 and section #aja7;a77#db7 
of the ,immigration and ,nationality    
,act 7#h ,u4,s4,c4 #aaja7;a77#db771 as  
added by section #bja of the ,refugee   
,act of #aihj 7,public ,law #if-bab71 a 
refugee is a person who-- 7#a7 is       
outside of the country of his or her    
nationality or habitual residence2 and  

7#b7 is unable or unwilling to return   
because of a well-founded fear of       
persecution for reasons of race1        
religion1 nationality1 political        
opinion1 or membership in a particular  
social group2 ,whereas1 according to the
 ,,unhcr1 at the end of #bjai-- 7#a7    
there were at least #gi1ejj1jjj forcibly
 displaced people worldwide1 which is   
the worst displacement crisis in        
recorded history1 including-- 7,a7      
#bi1fjj1jjj refugees2  7,b7 more than   
#de1gjj1jjj internally displaced people2
 and  7,c7 #d1bjj1jjj asylum seekers2   
7#b7 #a person out of every #ig people  
worldwide was a refugee1 an asylum      
seeker1 or an internally displaced      
person2  7#c7 the number of refugees    
under ,,unhcr's mandate had doubled     
since #bjaj2  7#d7 #fh percent of the   
world's refugees came from only #e      
countries 7,syria1 ,venezuela1          
,afghanistan1 ,south ,sudan1 and        
,burma72  7#e7 #gc percent of all       
refugees were residing in countries     

adjacent to the countries from which    
they had fled2  7#f7 approximately      
#ca1jjj1jjj of the people who had been  
forcibly displaced and #ej percent of   
all refugees were children younger than 
#ah years of age1 millions of whom were 
unable to access basic services1        
including education2  7#g7 approximately
 #aa1jjj1jjj people were newly displaced
 due to recent conflict or persecution1 
including #h1fjj1jjj internally         
displaced persons and #b1djj1jjj        
refugees and asylum seekers1            
representing an average of at least     
#cj1jjj such people per day2  7#h7 more 
than #ej percent of the population of   
,syria 7at least #ac1jjj1jjj people7    
were displaced1 either across the       
international border or within ,syria1  
which represents the largest            
displacement crisis in the world today2 
7#i7 more than #a1djj1jjj refugees      
needed resettlement to a third country  
7an #hj-percent increase since #bjaa71  
while only #ajg1hjj refugees were       

resettled to a total of #bf countries2  
and  7#aj7 only #cag1bjj refugees       
voluntarily returned to their country or
 place of origin1 which represents fewer
 than #b percent of the #bj1djj1jjj     
refugees under ,,unhcr's mandate2       
,whereas millions of refugees around the
 world are stateless 7not recognized as 
nationals by any state7 and therefore   
require a path to citizenship as part of
 any solution to their displacement2    
,whereas refugee children are #e times  
more likely to be out of school than    
non-refugee children2 ,whereas refugees 
who are women and girls are often at    
greater risk of violence1 human         
trafficking1 exploitation1 and          
gender-based violence2 ,whereas more    
than #ej percent of refugees reside in  
urban areas2 ,whereas #he percent of    
refugees and asylum seekers reside in   
developing countries1 which places      
enormous additional pressure on the     
already limited resources of those      
countries2 ,whereas the average length  

of time refugees remain displaced from  
their home country ranges between #aj   
and #bf years2 ,whereas while refugee   
resettlement is a critical solution for 
refugees1 fewer than #aj percent of     
global resettlement needs have been met 
and global refugee resettlement         
opportunities have fallen by #ej percent
 since #bjaf2 ,whereas the ,united      
,states resettlement program1 which was 
established #dj years ago-- 7#a7 is a   
lifesaving solution crucial to global   
humanitarian efforts2  7#b7 strengthens 
global security2  7#c7 advances ,united 
,states foreign policy goals2  7#d7     
supports regional host countries2 and   
7#e7 assists individuals and families in
 need2 ,whereas the ,united ,states     
annual refugee admissions ceiling fell  
from #he1jjj in fiscal year #bjaf to    
#ah1jjj in fiscal year #bjbj1 which     
represents the lowest level in the      
history of the program2 ,whereas1 as of 
,june #ai1 #bjbj 7#i months into fiscal 
year #bjbj71 the ,united ,states had    

welcomed only #g1fhd refugees into the  
country1 which is fewer than #ej percent
 of the ,president's #ah1jjj refugee    
admissions ceiling2 ,whereas1 at this   
pace1 the ,united ,states will not meet 
its fiscal year #bjbj refugee admissions
 goal2 ,whereas1 for fiscal year #bjbj1 
the ,united ,states1 irrespective of    
global resettlement needs1 designated   
new thematic and regional allocations   
for ,united ,states refugee admissions  
that prioritize-- 7#a7 refugees fleeing 
persecution on account of religious     
persecution2  7#b7 ,iraqis2 and  7#c7   
refugees from ,central ,america2        
,whereas refugees are the most vetted   
travelers to enter the ,united ,states  
and are subject to extensive screening  
checks that may last between #ah months 
and #c years1 including in-person       
interviews1 biometric data checks1 and  
multiple interagency reviews2 ,whereas  
refugees-- 7#a7 are major contributors  
to local economies2  7#b7 pay an average
 of #ba1jjj more in taxes than they     

receive in benefits2 and  7#c7          
revitalize cities and towns by-- 7,a7   
offsetting population decline2 and  7,b7
 boosting economic growth by opening    
businesses1 paying taxes1 and buying    
homes2  ,whereas certain industries and 
towns rely heavily on refugee workers to
 support their economic stability1 and  
low rates of arrivals of refugees have  
had serious impacts on economic growth2 
and ,whereas1 during the ,,covid-#ai    
pandemic-- 7#a7 refugees1 internally    
displaced persons1 and asylum seekers1  
many of whom live in dangerously        
overcrowded settings and have inadequate
 access to basic services like          
healthcare1 water1 and sanitation1 are  
especially vulnerable to the spread of  
the novel coronavirus2  7#b7            
well-intentioned government polices to  
mitigate the spread of the novel        
coronavirus may exacerbate inequalities 
and disproportionately impact those     
already suffering from conflict and     
persecution2  7#c7 ,,unhcr and the      

,international ,organization for        
,migration suspended their international
 refugee resettlement operations for #c 
months1 which negatively affected at    
least #aj1jjj refugees who were already 
approved for travel to their respective 
countries of resettlement2  7#d7        
numerous countries have restricted      
access to asylum1 including the ,united 
,states1 which summarily returned more  
than #dj1jjj asylum seekers gathered at 
the southern ,united ,states border back
 to ,mexico and only permitted #b       
individuals to remain in the ,united    
,states to request humanitarian         
protection between ,march #ba and ,may  
#ac1 #bjbj2 and  7#e7 many refugees are 
serving as critical frontline health    
professionals and essential workers     
combating the ,,covid-#ai pandemic in   
the ,united ,states and other host      
countries3 ,now1 therefore1 be it  ,that
 the ,senate-- 7#a7 reaffirms the       
bipartisan commitment of the ,united    
,states to promote the safety1 health1  

and well-being of millions of refugees1 
including the education of refugee      
children and displaced persons who flee 
war1 persecution1 or torture in search  
of peace1 hope1 and freedom2  7#b7      
recognizes those individuals who have   
risked their lives working1 either      
individually or for nongovernmental     
organizations and international         
agencies1 such as ,,unhcr1 to provide   
lifesaving assistance and protection for
 people displaced by conflicts around   
the world2  7#c7 underscores the        
importance of the ,united ,states       
refugee resettlement program as a       
critical tool for the ,united ,states   
,government-- 7,a7 to leverage foreign  
policy2  7,b7 to strengthen national and
 regional security2 and  7,c7 to        
demonstrate international support of    
refugees2  7#d7 calls upon the ,united  
,states ,government-- 7,a7 to continue  
providing robust funding for refugee    
protection overseas and resettlement in 
the ,united ,states2  7,b7 to uphold its

 international leadership role in       
responding to displacement crises with  
humanitarian assistance and protection  
of the most vulnerable populations2     
7,c7 to work in partnership with the    
international community to find         
solutions to existing conflicts and     
prevent new conflicts from beginning2   
7,d7 to ensure that-- 7i7 the ,united   
,states refugee resettlement program is 
equipped to protect and support         
refugees2 and  7ii7 the ,united ,states 
provides essential leadership to the    
international refugee assistance        
community and to local communities      
across the ,united ,states seeking to   
welcome refugees and to help them       
achieve the ,american dream2  7,e7 to   
alleviate the burden placed on frontline
 refugee host countries1 such as the    
,hashemite ,kingdom of ,jordan1 the     
,people's ,republic of ,bangladesh1 the 
,republic of ,uganda1 the ,republic of  
,colombia1 and the ,federal ,democratic 
,republic of ,ethiopia1 which receive   

the majority of the world's refugees1   
and provide these countries with        
humanitarian and development support2   
7,f7 to endorse the ,global ,compact for
 ,refugees1 affirmed by the ,united     
,nations ,general ,assembly on ,december
 #ag1 #bjah1 and join the ,global       
,compact for ,safe1 ,orderly1 and       
,regular ,migration1 done in ,morocco   
,july #aa1 #bjah2  7,g7 to terminate    
harmful policies that undermine refugee 
law and humanitarian principles1        
including-- 7i7 the closure of the      
,united ,states border to asylum        
seekers2  7ii7 the ,migrant ,protection 
,protocols1 implemented beginning on    
,january #bi1 #bjai2 and  7iii7 the     
,asylum ,cooperative ,agreements signed 
with ,guatemala1 ,honduras1 and ,el     
,salvador in #bjai2  7,h7 to adopt a    
robust and inclusive interpretation of  
,united ,states refugee law that takes  
into account the changed nature of      
conflict and persecution and increase   
complementary legal pathways for        

protection and entry into the ,united   
,states2  7,i7 to meet the challenges of
 the worst refugee crisis in recorded   
history by-- 7i7 restoring ,united      
,states leadership on refugee           
resettlement2 and  7ii7 increasing the  
number of refugees welcomed to and      
resettled in the ,united ,states to--   
7,i7 not fewer than #ah1jjj refugees    
during fiscal year #bjbj2 and  7,,ii7   
not fewer than #ie1jjj refugees during  
fiscal year #bjba2 and  7,j7 to restore 
the ,united ,states longstanding        
tradition of resettling the most        
vulnerable refugees and to avoid        
discrimination1 including discrimination
 based on a refugee's nationality or    
religious beliefs2 and  7#e7 reaffirms  
the goals of ,world ,refugee ,day and   
reiterates the strong commitment to     
protect the millions of refugees who    
live without material1 social1 or legal 
protections4