4.J 89/2:96-79 U.S. REFUGEE PROGRAMS, 1981 1 HEARING BEFORE THE COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY NINETY-SIXTH CONGRESS SECOND SESSION 69-093 O SEPTEMBER 19, 1980 Serial No. 96-79 Printed for the use of the Committee on the Judiciary CONTENTS Opening statement of Senator Kennedy. Opening statement of Senator Cochran_. Panel of administration officials: Civiletti, Hon. Benjamin, Attorney General; accompanied by Ambassador-at-large Victor Palmieri, U.S. Coordinator for Refugee Affairs, Department of State; Roger Winter, Director, Office of Refugee Resettlement, Department of Health and Human Services; Doris Meissner, Deputy Associate Attorney General; David Crosland, Acting Commissioner, Immigration and Naturalization Service; Christian Holmes, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, Bureau for Refugee Programs, and, Director, Cuban-Haitian Task Force, Department of State; John Negroponte, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, and Frank Loy, Director, Bureau for Refugee Programs, Department of State---- Questions of Senator Kennedy and responses of Department of State_- I. "Proposed Refugee Admissions and Allocations for Fiscal Year 1981," report to the Congress, U.S. Coordinator for Refugee Affairs__ II. "Overview of World Refugee Situation," report, U.S. Coordinator for Page U.S. REFUGEE PROGRAMS, 1981 FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 1980 U.S. SENATE, COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY, The committee met, pursuant to notice, at 9:30 a.m., in room 2228, Dirksen Senate Office Building, Senator Edward M. Kennedy, chairman, presiding. Present: Senators Kennedy, Metzenbaum, Thurmond, Cochran, Simpson, and Dole. Senator KENNEDY. The Committee on the Judiciary will come to order. OPENING STATEMENT BY SENATOR KENNEDY We meet today in the shadow of a refugee crisis that is global in its scope and staggering in its dimension of human misery. Over 13 million men, women, and children are refugees in the world today-homeless and helpless, destitute, totally dependent on others for the assistance essential to preserve life itself. There are more refugees today than at any other time in modern history. In the past 3 years, the world total has grown by more than 2,000 new refugees each day. In the past 5 months, more than 2 million new refugees have fled war, famine, or persecution. Time and again, the mounting tide of refugees has overwhelmed the planet's ability to respond. America can be proud of its humanitarian heritage. More than any other nation, this country has responded nobly to the call for help from refugees in every corner of the world. How, in this difficult period in our effort to deal with the current crisis, a new law-the Refugee Act of 1980, approved by Congress and signed into law by President Carter earlier this year-is providing important new tools to accomplish our goals. In part, the purpose of this hearing is to explore what action the United States will take to help refugees under this far-reaching legislation. But the task is not ours alone. If real progress is to be made, America's voice is not the only voice that must be heard. The refugee crisis is an international tragedy requiring international action. If massive human suffering is to be prevented, other nations in the world community must also work, and work together, to meet the need. (1) |