Presidential Documents

Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 197 / Friday, October 10, 1997 / Presidential Documents 53219

Presidential Determination No. 97–37 of September 30, 1997

Presidential Determination on FY 1998 Refugee Admissions

Numbers and Authorizations of In-Country Refugee Status

Pursuant to Sections 207 and 101(a)(42), Respectively, of the

Immigration and Nationality Act, and Determination Pursuant to Section 2(b)(2) of the Migration and Refugee Assistance Act, as Amended

Memorandum for the Secretary of State

In accordance with section 207 of the Immigration and Nationality Act

(‘‘the Act’’) (8 U.S.C. 1157), as amended, and after appropriate consultation

with the Congress, I hereby make the following determinations and authorize

the following actions:

The admission of up to 83,000 refugees to the United States during

FY 1998 is justified by humanitarian concerns or is otherwise in

the national interest; provided, however, that this number shall

be understood as including persons admitted to the United States

during FY 1998 with Federal refugee resettlement assistance under

the Amerasian immigrant admissions program, as provided below.

The 83,000 admissions shall be allocated among refugees of special humanitarian concern to the United States in accordance with the following regional

allocations; provided, however, that the number allocated to the East Asia

region shall include persons admitted to the United States during FY 1998

with Federal refugee resettlement assistance under section 584 of the Foreign

Operations, Export Financing, and Related Programs Appropriations Act

of 1988, as contained in section 101(e) of Public Law 100–202 (Amerasian

immigrants and their family members); provided further that the number

allocated to the former Soviet Union shall include persons admitted who

were nationals of the former Soviet Union, or in the case of persons having

no nationality, who were habitual residents of the former Soviet Union,

prior to September 2, 1991:

Africa ............................................................................................................. 7,000

East Asia ........................................................................................................ 14,000

Europe ............................................................................................................ 51,000

Latin America/Caribbean .............................................................................. 4,000

Near East/South Asia .................................................................................... 4,000

Unallocated .................................................................................................... 3,000

Within the Europe ceiling are 5,000 unfunded reserve numbers allocated

to the former Soviet Union for use as needed provided that resources within

existing appropriations are available to fund the cost of their admission.

The 3,000 unfunded unallocated numbers shall be allocated as needed if

resources within existing appropriations are available to fund the cost of

their admission. Unused admissions numbers allocated to a particular region

within the 75,000 federally funded ceiling may be transferred to one or

more other regions if there is an overriding need for greater numbers for

the region or regions to which the numbers are being transferred. You

are hereby authorized and directed to consult with the Judiciary Committees

of the Congress prior to any such use of the unallocated numbers or reallocation of numbers from one region to another.

Pursuant to section 2(b)(2) of the Migration and Refugee Assistance Act

of 1962, as amended, 22 U.S.C. 2601(b)(2), I hereby determine that assistance
53220 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 197 / Friday, October 10, 1997 / Presidential Documents

to or on behalf of persons applying for admission to the United States

as part of the overseas refugee admissions program will contribute to the

foreign policy interests of the United States and designate such persons

for this purpose.

An additional 10,000 refugee admissions numbers shall be made available

during FY 1998 for the adjustment to permanent resident status under section

209(b) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1159(b)) of aliens

who have been granted asylum in the United States under section 208

of the Act (8 U.S.C. 1158), as this is justified by humanitarian concerns

or is otherwise in the national interest.

In accordance with section 101(a)(42)(B) of the Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(42))

and after appropriate consultation with the Congress, I also specify that,

for FY 1998, the following persons may, if otherwise qualified, be considered

refugees for the purpose of admission to the United States within their

countries of nationality or habitual residence:

a. Persons in Vietnam

b. Persons in Cuba

c. Persons in the former Soviet Union

You are authorized and directed to report this determination to the Congress

immediately and to publish it in the 

œ–

Federal Register.

THE WHITE HOUSE,

Washington, September 30, 1997. [FR Doc. 97–27172

Filed 10–9–97; 8:45 am]

Billing code 4710–10–M