tion, and with new U.N. machinery that was not possible during the cold war.

America's historic compassion for the world's refugees must continue, and we must be prepared to increase our own assistance as their needs grow. It is up to Congress, the administration, and the country to fulfill the promise of the Refugee Act of 1980 to assist and resettle refugees, regardless of the ideology of their oppressor. We should broaden the reach of our resettlement efforts. We must do our part, in cooperation with the U.N. High Commissioner and others, in offering resettlement to refugees at risk. We need new mechanisms within our own Government to accomplish this goal.

We must lend our full support to international efforts to intervene early to mediate emerging nationalist and ethnic conflicts as they arise. One of the lessons of Somalia and Yugoslavia is that these ethnic conflicts very rapidly escalate out of control, leading to massive destruction and loss of life and hundreds of thousands of refugees.

Finally, if we want other governments to respect the needs of all refugees, we must do the same in our own hemisphere. We cannot protect refugees from Cuba, but reject those from Haiti, while urging other governments to be evenhanded in their approach.

These annual statutory consultations with the administration are an essential part of our Nation's effort to respond to refugee needs around the world, and I welcome the administration's witnesses, who will present the President's proposal for refugee admissions and assistance during the coming fiscal year.

We are joined today by Senator DeConcini. We are delighted to have him.

OPENING STATEMENT OF SENATOR DECONCINI Senator DECONCINI. Mr. Chairman, thank you for letting me be part of the hearings this morning. I am very pleased to participate in what I think is a very important hearing on refugees, and how many we will admit in fiscal year 1993. I look forward to hearing the testimony from the distinguished panel. We have some real experts here not only in refugee areas around the world, but certainly in the former Yugoslavia.

As cochairman of the Helsinki Commission, I am pleased that former Ambassador Warren Zimmerman is testifying today. Deputy Secretary Eagleburger has a long history in that same part of the world, as well as others. In addition to the new tasks that Ambassador Zimmerman has undertaken at the State Department regarding refugee affairs, he has direct and recent experience with the source of one of the most pressing refugee problems in the world, and that is the conflict in the former Yugoslavia. I have always highly valued his advice and counsel, and I look forward to working with him in this area of importance to me.

There are serious concerns regarding the number of refugees coming from Croatia, from Bosnia-Hercegovina, not to mention those additional persons fleeing persecution and potential conflict in other regions of the former Yugoslavia. More than 2 million people have become refugees or displaced persons.

When I met with the Bosnian foreign minister this week, he told me about the recent announcement of Croatian officials that they could no longer take any more refugees from Bosnia-Hercegovina, and are transporting them to neighboring countries; such as Hungary. Indeed, all of the countries taking in former Yugoslav refugees, including the European Community countries, are considering burden-sharing in response to this refugee crisis.

In light of the recent Serbian attack on a refugee camp in Croatia on the border with Bosnia, the safety of refugees is also a matter of concern. Finally, there is the question of what these refugees will do in the future. Will these people ever be able to return to their home, and if so, when? I would be very interested in hearing the witnesses' views on these matters, including what we are doing to assist in this regard-through the United Nations or directly.

Mr. Chairman, I will ask that my full statement be in the record, including a detailed statement on the Haitian refugee crisis.

I do want to say, Mr. Chairman, I appreciate Secretary Eagleburger's cooperation and willingness to get the State Department and the administration involved in the problem with the United Nation's potential involvement in the Bosnian conflict. The paper this morning had a story, if it is correct, from eyewitnesses describing tremendous harassment, beatings, whippings, intimidation, and other tortures of Serbians, Bosnians, and Muslims, who cannot get out of that country.

Mr. Chairman, thank you for letting me join you, and thank you for your leadership in this very important area. You are always out in front, and I can't think of a better time to be out in front to see that this Congress and the administration do something. Not only should we have done more for the Haitian refugees, but it is not too late for us to do something for refugees from the former Yugoslavia.

Thank you.

[The prepared statements of Senator DeConcini follow:]

MR. CHAIRMAN, I AM PLEASED TO PARTICIPATE IN OUR ANNUAL

CONSULTATIONS WITH THE ADMINISTRATION ON HOW MANY REFUGEES THIS

COUNTRY WILL ADMIT IN FISCAL YEAR 1993.

I LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING THE TESTIMONY FROM THE

DISTINGUISHED WITNESSES HERE TODAY. AS CO-CHAIRMAN OF THE

HELSINKI COMMISSION, I AM PLEASED THAT FORMER AMBASSADOR WARREN

ZIMMERMANN WILL BE TESTIFYING. IN ADDITION TO THE NEW TASKS HE

IS UNDERTAKING AT THE STATE DEPARTMENT REGARDING REFUGEE AFFAIRS,

WARREN HAS DIRECT AND RECENT EXPERIENCE WITH THE SOURCE OF ONE OF

THE MOST PRESSING REFUGEE PROBLEMS IN THE WORLD TODAY

-

THE

CONFLICT IN THE FORMER YUGOSLAVIA. I HAVE ALWAYS HIGHLY VALUED

HIS COMMENTS AND ADVICE REGARDING YUGOSLAVIA, WHERE HE SERVED FOR

THREE YEARS AS THE UNITED STATES AMBASSADOR.

THERE ARE SERIOUS CONCERNS REGARDING THE NUMBER OF REFUGEES

COMING FIRST FROM CROATIA, NOW FROM BOSNIA-HERCEGOVINA, NOT TO

MENTION THOSE ADDITIONAL PERSONS FLEEING PERSECUTION AND

POTENTIAL CONFLICT IN OTHER REGIONS OF THE FORMER YUGOSLAVIA.

MORE THAN 2 MILLION PEOPLE HAVE BECOME REFUGEES OR DISPLACED

PERSONS. WHEN I MET WITH THE BOSINIAN FOREIGN MINISTER THIS

WEEK, HE TOLD ME ABOUT THE RECENT ANNOUNCEMENT OF CROATION

OFFICIALS THAT THEY COULD NO LONGER TAKE ANY MORE REFUGEES FROM

BOSNIA-HERCEGOVINA AND ARE TRANSPORTING THEM TO NEIGHBORING

COUNTRIES, SUCH AS HUNGARY.

INDEED, ALL OF THE COUNTRIES TAKING IN YUGOSLAV REFUGEES,

INCLUDING THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY COUNTRIES, ARE CONSIDERING

BURDEN-SHARING IN RESPONSE TO THIS REFUGEE CRISIS. IN LIGHT OF A

RECENT SERBIAN ATTACK ON A REFUGEE CAMP IN CROATIA ON THE BORDER

WITH BOSNIA, THE SAFETY OF REFUGEES IS ALSO A MATTER OF CONCERN.

FINALLY, THERE IS THE QUESTION OF WHAT THESE REFUGEES WILL DO IN

THE FUTURE. WILL THESE PEOPLE EVER BE ABLE TO RETURN TO THEIR

HOME, AND, IF SO, WHEN? I WOULD BE VERY INTERESTED IN HEARING

THE WITNESSES' VIEWS ON THESE MATTERS, INCLUDING WHAT WE ARE

DOING TO ASSIST IN THIS REGARD

DIRECTLY.

-

THROUGH THE UNITED NATIONS OR

IN A MATTER CLOSER TO HOME, I HAVE BEEN CONCERNED FOR MANY

MONTHS ABOUT THIS COUNTRY'S TREATMENT OF THE HAITIAN REFUGEES.

THE PRESIDENT'S EXECUTIVE ORDER OF MAY 24, 1992, PERMITS THE U.S.

COAST GUARD TO RETURN HAITIANS PICKED UP AT SEA DIRECTLY TO

HAITI, WITHOUT EVEN A SCREENING PROCESS. THIS POLICY IS

APPALLING TO ME. I AM ALSO DISTURBED THAT THE ADMINISTRATION

DENIED PERMISSION TO AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL TO INVESTIGATE THE

ASYLUM PROCESSING FACILITIES FOR HAITIAN REFUGEES IN GUANTANAMO,

CUBA. AS YOU KNOW, THE HELSINKI COMMISSION OFTEN ASSISTS HUMAN

RIGHTS GROUPS TO INVESTIGATE INTERNAL CONDITIONS OF OTHER

COUNTRIES INCLUDING THOSE IN PRISONS AND REFUGEE CAMPS. HOW CAN

WE JUSTIFY OUR CONTINUAL INSPECTIONS OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS

PRACTICES OF OTHER NATIONS WHEN WE REFUSE TO PERMIT INTERNATIONAL

SCRUTINY OF OUR POLICIES HERE AT HOME?

AGAIN, I LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING FROM THE WITNESSES ON THIS

IMPORTANT ISSUE. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO SUBMIT FOR THE RECORD A

DETAILED STATEMENT REGARDING MY VIEWS ABOUT THE HAITIAN REFUGEE

CRISIS.