In our hemisphere, only Cuba now remains outside the circle of democratically elected governments. And though arising from a different historical context, the plight of the Palestinians is a central concern of U.S. policy as we seek to bring about a Middle East peace conference. While these developments give us reason to be optimistic about the future, we also recognize that the process of resolving longstanding conflict situations will be neither quick nor easy. The past year has shown that we cannot predict or control the local forces and conflicts which may emerge now as the overlay of the cold war era of Communist suppression has been removed. The fighting in Yugoslavia is a disastrous example of the danger inherent in this period of instability. We are watching with utmost care the development of policies affecting human rights and the treatment of minorities in all areas of the former Soviet Union. Ethnic and political conflicts totally outside the cold war context also threaten stability, as we have seen in Liberia, which alone has added 600,000 to the world's list of refugees in the past 2 years. The purpose of these consultations is to determine the number of refugees to be resettled in the United States during fiscal year 1992. Resettlement is a key element of our protection of refugees, and we are the world's leader in this regard. But resettlement is not the centerpiece of our response to the refugee situation. The overwhelming number of refugees in the world are waiting for an opportunity to return home, not to abandon their homeland for ever. The short-term needs are basic support-food, water, health care, and education for children. The long-term need is the resolution of the conflict or repression that forced these people to flee. Thus, the assistance portion of our refugee program is of great importance. I am pleased to say that with the support and cooperation of the Congress, we have steadily increased the resources going to meet these basic needs even as we have reduced through various streamlining measures the costs of our admissions program. In fiscal year 1991, our refugee assistance budget, including draw-downs from the President's emergency refugee and migration account, increased by $90 million over fiscal year 1990. In fiscal year 1992, we expect a further increase, especially in the basic support programs and for repatriation of refugees to their respective homelands. Recent developments in the Soviet Union specifically with regard to emigration have had a direct impact on the U.S. refugee admissions program that we are considering here today. In May of this year, the Supreme Soviet of the U.S.S.R. passed far-reaching emigration legislation which we expect to be followed by new, less burdensome exit procedures. We continue to monitor implementation of this legislation at Union and Republic levels. We have received a few disquieting reports recently that some local emigration authorities are reverting to the restrictive practices which pertained prior to implementation of the new law. Embassy Moscow is investigating these reports. If such a trend develops as Republics take over more respon assure you, adversely affect U.S. relations with those Republics that follow such restrictive practices. The dramatic events in the U.S.S.R. since the failed coup, however, have not impeded Soviet emigration to the United States. Indeed, the number of refugees departing the Soviet Union for the United States rose during the past few weeks with almost no complications. With regard to emigration to the United States, we intend in fiscal year 1992 to address the backlog which developed in fiscal year 1991 prior to the passage of the Soviet emigration legislation. Many individuals approved by INS for United States admission were unable to depart due to their inability to obtain Soviet exit permission. We hope that implementation of the new Soviet law will solve this problem. The President's proposal, therefore, is to add the fiscal 1991 shortfall to the 50,000 admissions which had been planned for in the President's budget request for next year. I can report that in recent weeks many more Soviet refugees than expected have traveled to the United States, and we will be reducing the fiscal year 1991 shortfall from 13,000, as earlier estimated in the President's proposal, to 11,000. We are optimistic from action taken so far by the authorization and appropriations committees that the necessary funds will be available. In addition to the impact of developments in the Soviet Union on the refugee admissions program, I would also like to report to the committee on the situation in Southeast Asia. Unfortunately, because Vietnam has thus far retained its Communist regime, thousands of people continue to leave due to current or past repression. More than 2 years have passed since I led our delegation to the Geneva conference at which more than 50 countries adopted an agreement, the comprehensive plan of action, designed to resolve the many issues surrounding Vietnamese asylum seekers in Southeast Asia. For the most part, the CPA has worked remarkably well. Except in Hong Kong, new boat arrivals are a fraction of what they were a year ago. In most countries, first asylum has been maintained and progress in screening continues. However, we remain distressed by Malaysian pushoffs and we are concerned with the slow progress in addressing the needs of unaccompanied minors. The United States continues to oppose involuntary repatriation to Vietnam. We firmly believe that efforts are better focused on increasing the pace of voluntary returns, which has shown hopeful signs in recent months. Voluntary repatriation is critical because the screened-out will not be offered resettlement. Resettlement of persons approved as refugees continues as a central element of the CPA. For the United States, our fiscal year 1992 admissions proposal of 52,000 for the region reflects our commitment to the continued success of the CPA, as well as to the resettlement of Amerasians and former reeducation center detainees from Vietnam through the orderly departure program. In other regions of the world-Africa, the Near East, Latin America, and Eastern Europe-the United States continues resettlement programs appropriate to the local needs. Moreover, we are working with the UNHCR to establish mechanisms which will allow our admissions program to be even more responsive to finding resettlement opportunities for high-risk or other priority needs cases. Details on our admissions proposals for these regions are provided in the report we have submitted to the committee. To summarize the lessons of this past year in refugee affairs is difficult. The collapse of totalitarian communism in the U.S.S.R. is clearly a cause for optimism. The United States is seeking to expand its existing ties and contacts with the new Baltic States and the Soviet Republics, but we will in no measure reduce our emphasis on human rights and the treatment of minority populations. The United States will seize every new opportunity to work toward conflict resolution and peaceful political settlement around the world. For large numbers of the world's refugees, we are hopeful that the international community can redirect its resources to repatriation, but there will also be continuing challenges. Communist regimes in Vietnam and Cuba will continue to produce refugees. Iraq, Liberia, the Horn of Africa, and now Yugoslavia demonstrate all too well the potential for local conflict and instability. It will be incumbent upon the United States to be engaged, with our allies and friends, as well as with the source countries, in seeking solutions to these problems on a worldwide basis. Although the era of Soviet Communism may be over, the refugee and migration phenomenon will not disappear. For the foreseeable future, the United States must and will continue to perform the humanitarian leadership role which throughout the cold war so clearly symbolized what the free world is all about. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. [The prepared statement of Mr. Eagleburger follows:] STATEMENT OF THE HONORABLE LAWRENCE S. EAGLEBURGER DEPUTY SECRETARY OF STATE BEFORE THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON IMMIGRATION AND REFUGEE AFFAIRS SENATE COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY SEPTEMBER 24, 1991 Mr. Chairman and Members of the Committee: I am pleased to appear before the Committee today on the subject of the admission of refugees to the United States in fiscal year 1992. Ambassador Lafontant-Mankarious and I will discuss the President's formal proposal for the admission of up to 144,000 refugees in fiscal year 1992. I believe the Committee has also received a report which provides the detailed information stipulated in the statute. Refugees in Today's World I would like to take a few minutes at the outset to put our refugee policy in the broader context of U.S. foreign policy and current developments in world affairs. - 2. We have, in my view, entered a period of historic transition in our foreign relations. The era of the Cold War is over; democracy is spreading, not just in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union, but throughout much of the world. Our vision of the new world order includes the hope that humane solutions will be found for the plight of the millions of refugees in the world today. The symbol of the refugee stands among the most powerful of those in the Cold War era. Just as one may say that the Berlin Wall was the most graphic symbol of East-West confrontation in Europe, it was the individual people who sought to escape to freedom across that border who most vividly represented the human tragedy caused by the Communist system. Where that authoritarian ideology was exported to the third world in Africa, in Cuba and Central America, and in Asia the result was conflict, persecution, and massive flows of people seeking to save their lives and reach freedom. During the post-war - - era, these people number in the millions. Today, with the demise of Soviet Communism, we are embarked on a period of worldwide conflict resolution. The past year has seen progress in Angola and Ethiopia, and the very welcome |