country in which such person is habitually residing, The estimated world population of refugees and externally displaced persons is 15 million; persons displaced within their own countries by war, famine and civil unrest may equal twice that number. The United States works with the UNHCR, other international organizations, other governments, and private organizations to protect refugees and displaced persons and strives to ensure that their immediate survival needs for food, health care and shelter are met. Under the authority contained in the Migration and Refugee Assistance Act of 1962, as amended, the United States contributes to the international activities of the UNHCR, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and other international and private organizations which provide ongoing relief and assistance for refugees and displaced persons. The United States has been instrumental in mobilizing a community of nations to work through these and other organizations in alleviating the misery and suffering of refugees throughout the world. We The United States, aware that more than 75 percent of the world's refugees consist of women and young children, recognizes the special needs of this vulnerable group, particularly in the areas of protection and assistance. support the UNHCR and other relevant international, government and non-governmental organizations in their efforts to involve refugee women in implementing programs on their own behalf and to assign their women officers to positions where they can impact favorably on the protection and well-being of women and children refugees. We continue to press for the most effective utilization of international resources directed to the urgent needs of refugees and displaced persons. During FY 1990, the United States supported major relief programs in Africa, Central America, Southeast Asia, the Near East and South Asia. Contributions for these funds were made through organizations including the UNHCR, the United Nations World Food Program (WFP), the ICRC, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), and United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA). This support averted further human tragedy - 3 and helped sustain life by providing food and other assistance to meet the basic human needs of refugees. Details are provided in the World Refugee Report. With regard to refugees resettled in the United States, the U.S. Government aims to promote economic self-sufficiency as quickly as possible, limiting the need for public assistance and encouraging refugees to contribute to the diversity and enrichment of our country as previous newcomers have done. To this end, short-term English language and cultural orientation programs for certain groups of refugees have been established overseas to initiate the process of adapting to our complex society. Particular attention is paid to the health of refugees to ensure that communicable diseases are controlled before entry into the United States. Federally funded programs administered by the states provide cash and medical assistance, training programs, employment and other support services to many refugees soon after arrival in the United States. These services are performed by a variety of institutional providers, including private voluntary agencies who also perform initial reception and placement services under cooperative agreements with the Department of State. All of these benefits are intended for short-term utilization during a refugee's transition to an independent, contributing member of the national economy and of American society. B. Refugee Admissions in FY 1990 Fully funded refugee admissions to the United States for FY 1990 are expected to be approximately 111,700 **This number includes seven hundred initially unfunded numbers for USSR which were later funded and included in the adjusted level pursuant to the Armstrong Amendment to the Dire Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act of 1990. - 5. C. Resettlement Needs in FY 1991 The President proposes to respond to the humanitarian needs of refugees by establishing for FY 1991 an admissions ceiling of 131,000 refugees for permanent resettlement in the United States. Includes Amerasian immigrants and their families who enter as immigrants under a special statutory provision but receive benefits as refugees. The use of up to 11,000 of these admissions numbers is - 6 The recommended level of admissions is higher than the 110,000 admissions assumed in the Department of State and HHS FY 1991 budget requests. The Department of State is implementing a plan for financing the admission of the additional refugees within the current budget. The plan includes arranging pre-payment for the transportation of refugees by relatives and/or voluntary organizations and identifying cost savings in other refugee programs. All agencies agree that the additional 11,000 admissions slots will be utilized only to the extent that funds within existing FY 1991 resources become available. In HHS, the added admissions (1) will reduce HHS's subsidy of the normal state share of welfare costs incurred for refugees, (2) could reduce special welfare benefits for refugees, and (3) will add five million dollars in welfare entitlement costs to the FY 1991 Gramm-Rudman-Hollings baseline. The President also proposes to specify that special circumstances exist so that, for the purpose of admission under the limits established above and pursuant to section 101(a)(42) (B) of the INA, certain persons, if they otherwise qualify for admission, may be considered as refugees of special humanitarian concern to the United States even though they are still within their countries of nationality or habitual residence. The proposed designations for FY 1991 are: - Persons in Vietnam and Laos with past or present ties to the United States; persons who have been or currently are in reeducation camps in Vietnam or seminar camps in Laos; and Amerasian children in Vietnam, and their accompanying family members; Present and former political prisoners and persons in imminent danger of loss of life in countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, and their accompanying family members. Persons in Cuba who (1) are in imminent danger of loss of life and for whom there appears to be no alternative to resettlement in the United States, or (2) are of compelling concern to the United States such as former or present political prisoners, dissidents, or human rights and religious activists, or (3) were employed by the United States Government for at least one year prior to the claim for refugee status; and their accompanying family members. Persons in the Soviet Union and Romania. In addition to the proposed admission of refugees from abroad, INS will be authorized to adjust to permanent resident alien status 5,000 persons who have been granted asylum in the United States and have been in the United States for at least one year, pursuant to Section 209 (b) of the Immigration and Nationality Act. In the regional descriptions which follow, there is some reference to resettlement by other nations. More detailed information and statistics are found in the companion World Refugee Report |