,i #aaith ,,congress #ast ,session ,h4 ,r4 #bcdi ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,march #be1 #bjbe,mr4 ,subramanyam 7for himself1 ,mr4 ,meeks1 ,ms4 ,salazar1 ,mr4 ,connolly1 ,ms4 ,tokuda1 ,mr4 ,beyer1 ,mr4 ,sherman1 ,mr4 ,nunn of ,iowa1 ,mr4 ,carson1 ,mr4 ,magaziner1 ,ms4 ,titus1 ,mr4 ,moulton1 and ,mr4 ,krishnamoorthi7 introduced the following bill2 which was referred to the ,committee on the ,judiciary1 and in addition to the ,committee on ,foreign ,affairs1 for a period to be subsequently determined by the ,speaker1 in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned ,a ,,bill ,to designate residents of the ,xinjiang ,uyghur ,autonomous ,region as ,priority #b refugees of special humanitarian concern1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,uyghur ,human ,rights ,protection ,act4 #b4 ,findings ,congress makes the following findings3 7#a7 ,the ,government of the ,people's ,republic of ,china has a long history of repressing ,turkic ,muslims and other ,muslim minority groups1 particularly ,uyghurs1 in the ,xinjiang ,uyghur ,autonomous ,region 7,xinjiang or ,,xuar71 also known as ,east ,turkestan4 ,central and regional ,chinese government policies have systematically discriminated against these minority groups by denying them a range of civil and political rights1 particularly freedom of religion4 7#b7 ,in ,may #bjad1 the ,government of the ,people's ,republic of ,china launched its latest ,strike ,hard ,against ,violent ,extremism campaign1 using wide-scale1 internationally linked threats of terrorism as a pretext to justify pervasive restrictions on and serious human rights violations against members of ethnic minority communities in ,xinjiang4 ,the ,august #bjaf appointment of former ,tibet ,autonomous ,region ,party ,secretary ,chen ,quanguo to be ,party ,secretary of the ,,xuar accelerated the crackdown across the region4 ,scholars1 human rights organizations1 journalists1 and think tanks have provided ample evidence substantiating the establishment by the ,government of the ,people's ,republic of ,china of internment camps4 ,since #bjag1 the ,government of the ,people's ,republic of ,china has detained more than #a1jjj1jjj ,uyghurs1 ethnic ,kazakhs1 ,kyrgyz1 and members of other ,muslim minority groups in these camps4 ,the total ethnic minority population of ,xinjiang ,uyghur ,autonomous ,region was approximately #ac1jjj1jjj at the time of the last census conducted by the ,people's ,republic of ,china in #bjaj4 7#c7 ,the ,government of the ,people's ,republic of ,china's actions against ,uyghurs1 ethnic ,kazakhs1 ,kyrgyz1 and members of other ,muslim minority groups in ,xinjiang violate international human rights laws and norms1 including-- 7,a7 the ,international ,convention on the ,elimination of ,all ,forms of ,racial ,discrimination1 to which the ,people's ,republic of ,china has acceded2 7,b7 the ,convention against ,torture and ,other ,cruel1 ,inhuman or ,degrading ,treatment or ,punishment1 which the ,people's ,republic of ,china has signed and ratified2 7,c7 the ,convention on the ,prevention and ,punishment of the ,crime of ,genocide1 which the ,people's ,republic of ,china has signed and ratified2 7,d7 the ,international ,covenant on ,civil and ,political ,rights1 which the ,people's ,republic of ,china has signed2 and 7,e7 the ,universal ,declaration of ,human ,rights and the ,international ,labor ,organization's ,force ,labor ,convention 7no4 #bi7 and the ,abolition of ,forced ,labor ,convention 7no4 #aje74 7#d7 ,senior ,chinese ,communist ,party officials bear direct responsibility for gross human rights violations committed against ,uyghurs1 ethnic ,kazakhs1 ,kyrgyz1 and members of other ,muslim minority groups4 ,these abuses include the arbitrary detention of more than #a1jjj1jjj ,uyghurs1 ethnic ,kazakhs1 ,kyrgyz1 and members of other ,muslim minority groups1 separation of working age adults from their children and elderly parents1 and the integration of forced labor into supply chains4 7#e7 ,those held in detention facilities and internment camps in the ,xinjiang ,uyghur ,autonomous ,region have described forced political indoctrination1 torture1 beatings1 food deprivation1 sexual assault1 coordinated campaigns to reduce birth rates among ,uyghurs and other ,turkic ,muslims through forced sterilization1 and denial of religious1 cultural1 and linguistic freedoms4 ,these victims have confirmed they were told by guards that the only way to secure their release was to demonstrate adequate political loyalty4 ,poor conditions and lack of medical treatment at such facilities appear to have contributed to the deaths of some detainees1 including the elderly and infirm4 ,recent media reports indicate that since #bjai the ,government of the ,people's ,republic of ,china has newly constructed1 expanded1 or fortified at least #fj detention facilities with higher security or prison-like features4 7#f7 ,in ,september #bjah1 ,united ,nations ,high ,commissioner for ,human ,rights ,michelle ,bachelet noted the deeply disturbing allegations of large-scale arbitrary detentions of ,uyghurs and other ,muslim communities1 in so-called reeducation camps across ,xinjiang4 7#g7 ,in #bjai1 the ,congressional-,executive ,commission on ,china concluded that1 based on available evidence1 the establishment and actions committed in the internment camps in ,xinjiang ,uyghur ,autonomous ,region may constitute crimes against humanity4 7#h7 ,uyghurs and ethnic ,kazaks resettled or residing in third countries report being subjected to threats and harassment from ,people's ,republic of ,china officials4 7#i7 ,there is a backlog of approximately #c4f million visa applicants waiting to enter the ,united ,states4 ,wait times for certain visas are between #e and #ah years4 #c4 ,designation of certain residents of the ,xinjiang ,uyghur ,autonomous ,region 7a7 ,in general ,persons of special humanitarian concern eligible for ,priority #b processing under the refugee resettlement priority system shall include the following3 7#a7 ,individuals who are residents of or fled the ,xinjiang ,uyghur ,autonomous ,region who suffered persecution or have a well-founded fear of persecution on account of their peaceful expression of political opinions1 religious or cultural beliefs1 or peaceful participation in political1 religious1 or cultural activities or associations4 7#b7 ,individuals residing in other provinces of ,china1 or individuals not firmly resettled in third countries1 who fled the ,xinjiang ,uyghur ,autonomous ,region because of the causes described in paragraph 7#a74 7#c7 ,individuals who have been formally charged1 detained1 or convicted on account of their peaceful actions as described in the ,uyghur ,human ,rights ,policy ,act of #bjbj 7,public ,law #aaf-ade74 7#d7 ,the spouses1 children1 and parents 7as such terms are defined in subsections 7a7 and 7b7 of section #aja of the ,immigration and ,nationality ,act 7#h ,u4,s4,c4 #aaja77 of individuals described in paragraph 7#a71 7#b71 or 7#c71 except such parents who are citizens of a country other than the ,people's ,republic of ,china4 7b7 ,processing of ,xinjiang ,uyghur ,autonomous ,region refugees ,the processing of individuals described in subsection 7a7 for classification as refugees may occur in ,china or in a third country4 7c7 ,eligibility for admission as refugees ,an alien may not be denied the opportunity to apply for admission as a refugee under this section primarily because such alien-- 7#a7 qualifies as an immediate relative of a citizen of the ,united ,states2 or 7#b7 is eligible for admission to the ,united ,states under any other immigrant classification4 7d7 ,facilitation of admissions ,certain applicants for admission to the ,united ,states from the ,xinjiang ,uyghur ,autonomous ,region1 as described in subsection 7a71 may not be denied primarily on the basis of a politically1 religiously1 or culturally motivated arrest1 detention1 or other adverse government action taken against such applicant as a result of the participation by such applicant in protest activities4 7e7 ,exclusion from numerical limitations ,aliens provided refugee status under this section shall not be counted against any numerical limitation under section #bja1 #bjb1 #bjc1 or #bjg of the ,immigration and ,nationality ,act 7#h ,u4,s4,c4 #aaea1 #aaeb1 #aaec1 or #aaeg74 7f7 ,priority ,the ,secretary of ,state shall prioritize bilateral diplomacy with third countries hosting former residents from the ,xinjiang ,uyghur ,autonomous ,region1 as described in subsection 7a71 and who face significant diplomatic pressure from the ,government of the ,people's ,republic of ,china4 7g7 ,reporting requirements 7#a7 ,in general ,not later than #ahj days after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 and every #ij days thereafter1 the ,secretary of ,state and the ,secretary of ,homeland ,security shall submit a report on the matters described in paragraph 7#b7 to-- 7,a7 the ,committee on the ,judiciary and the ,committee on ,foreign ,relations of the ,senate2 and 7,b7 the ,committee on the ,judiciary and the ,committee on ,foreign ,affairs of the ,house of ,representatives4 7#b7 ,matters to be included ,each report required by paragraph 7#a7 shall include-- 7,a7 the total number of applications that are pending at the end of the reporting period2 7,b7 the average wait times and number of applicants who are currently pending-- 7i7 a pre-screening interview with a resettlement support center2 7ii7 an interview with ,u4,s4 ,citizenship and ,immigration ,services2 7iii7 the completion of security checks2 and 7iv7 receipt of a final decision after completion of an interview with ,u4,s4 ,citizenship and ,immigration ,services2 and 7,c7 the number of denials of applications for refugee status1 disaggregated by the reason for each such denial4 7#c7 ,form ,each report required by paragraph 7#a7 shall be submitted in unclassified form1 but may include a classified annex4 7#d7 ,public reports ,the ,secretary of ,state shall make each report submitted under this subsection available to the public on the internet website of the ,department of ,state4 7h7 ,satisfaction of other requirements ,aliens eligible under this section for ,priority #b processing under this section as ,priority #b refugees of special humanitarian concern under the refugee resettlement priority system shall be considered to satisfy the requirements under section #bjg of the ,immigration and ,nationality ,act 7#h ,u4,s4,c4 #aaeg7 for admission to the ,united ,states4 #d4 ,waiver of immigrant status presumption 7a7 ,in general ,the presumption under the first sentence of section #bad7;b7 of the ,immigration and ,nationality ,act 7#h ,u4,s4,c4 #aahd7;b77 that every alien is an immigrant until the alien establishes that the alien is entitled to nonimmigrant status shall not apply to an alien described in subsection 7b74 7b7 ,alien described 7#a7 ,in general ,an alien described in this paragraph is an alien who-- 7,a7 on ,january #a1 #bjbc1 was a resident of the ,xinjiang ,special ,administrative ,region2 7,b7 fled the ,xinjiang ,special ,administrative ,region after ,june #cj1 #bjji1 and now resides in a different province of ,china or third country2 7,c7 is seeking entry to the ,united ,states to apply for asylum under section #bjh of the ,immigration and ,nationality ,act 7#h ,u4,s4,c4 #aaeh72 and 7,d7 is facing repression in the ,xinjiang ,uyghur ,autonomous ,region by the ,government of the ,people's ,republic of ,china including-- 7i7 forced and arbitrary detention including in internment and so-called re-education camps2 7ii7 forced political indoctrination1 torture1 beatings1 food deprivation1 and denial of religious1 cultural1 and linguistic freedoms2 7iii7 forced labor2 7iv7 forced separation from family members2 or 7v7 other forms of systemic threats1 harassment1 and gross human rights violations4 7#b7 ,exclusion ,an alien described in this paragraph does not include any alien who-- 7,a7 is a citizen or permanent resident of a country other than the ,people's ,republic of ,china2 or 7,b7 is determined to have committed a gross violation of human rights4 7c7 ,intention ,to abandon foreign residence ,the fact that an alien described in this section is or was the beneficiary of an application for refugee status1 or is seeking entry to the ,united ,states to apply for asylum under section #bjh of the ,immigration and ,nationality ,act 7#h ,u4,s4,c4 #aaeh71 shall not constitute evidence of an intention to abandon a foreign residence for purposes of obtaining or maintaining the status of a nonimmigrant described in section #aja7;a77#ae7 of the ,immigration and ,nationality ,act 7#h ,u4,s4,c4 #aaja7;a77#ae774 #e4 ,refugee and asylum determinations under the ,immigration and ,nationality ,act 7a7 ,persecution on account of political1 religious1 or cultural expression or association 7#a7 ,in general ,in the case of an alien who is within a category of aliens established under this ,act1 the alien may establish1 for purposes of section #c7;a77#a7 of this ,act1 that the alien has a well-founded fear of persecution on account of race1 religion1 nationality1 membership in a particular social group1 or political opinion by asserting such a fear and asserting a credible basis for concern about the possibility of such persecution4 7#b7 ,nationals of the ,people's ,republic of ,china ,for purposes of refugee determinations under this ,act in accordance with section #bjg of the ,immigration and ,nationality ,act 7#h ,u4,s4,c4 #aaeg71 a national of the ,people's ,republic of ,china whose residency in the ,xinjiang ,uyghur ,autonomous ,region1 or any other area within the jurisdiction of the ,people's ,republic of ,china1 as determined by the ,secretary of ,state1 is revoked for having submitted to any ,united ,states ,government agency a nonfrivolous application for refugee status1 asylum1 or any other immigration benefit under the immigration laws shall be considered to have suffered persecution on account of political opinion4 7b7 ,changed circumstances ,for purposes of asylum determinations under this ,act in accordance with section #bjh of the ,immigration and ,nationality ,act 7#h ,u4,s4,c4 #aaeh71 the revocation of the citizenship1 nationality1 or residency of an individual for having submitted to any ,united ,states ,government agency a nonfrivolous application for refugee status1 asylum1 or any other immigration benefit under the immigration laws shall be considered to be a changed circumstance under subsection 7a77#b77;,d7 of that section4 7c7 ,definition ,for purposes of this section1 the term immigration laws has the meaning given such term in section #aja7;a77#ag7 of the ,immigration and ,nationality ,act 7#h ,u4,s4,c4 #aaja7;a77#ag774 #f4 ,statement of policy on encouraging allies and partners to make similar accommodations ,it is the policy of the ,united ,states to encourage allies and partners of the ,united ,states to make accommodations similar to the accommodations made in this ,act for residents of the ,xinjiang ,uyghur ,autonomous ,region who are fleeing oppression by the ,government of the ,people's ,republic of ,china4 #g4 ,termination ,this ,act1 and the amendments made by this ,act1 shall cease to have effect on the date that is #aj years after the date of the enactment of this ,act4