III 

115TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 552 

Commemorating June 20, 2018, as ‘‘World Refugee Day’’. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JUNE 20, 2018 

Mr. CARDIN (for himself, Mr. CARPER, Mr. VAN HOLLEN, Mr. WHITEHOUSE, 

Ms. BALDWIN, Mr. BOOKER, Mr. REED, Mr. WYDEN, Mr. BLUMENTHAL, 

Mrs. MURRAY, Mr. COONS, Ms. WARREN, Mr. KAINE, Mrs. GILLIBRAND, 

Mr. DURBIN, Mr. MERKLEY, Mr. UDALL, Mr. MARKEY, Mr. BROWN, and 

Ms. KLOBUCHAR) submitted the following resolution; which was referred 

to the Committee on Foreign Relations 

RESOLUTION 

Commemorating June 20, 2018, as ‘‘World Refugee Day’’. 

Whereas World Refugee Day acknowledges the courage, 

strength, and determination of women, men, and children 

forced to flee their homes because of persecution or conflict; 

Whereas, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees— 

(1) a refugee is an individual who faces persecution 

or has a well-founded fear of persecution because of race, 

religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a 

particular social group; 

(2) more than 68,500,000 people are displaced 

worldwide, which is the worst displacement crisis in globVerDate Sep 11 2014 01:55 Jun 21, 2018 Jkt 079200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR552.IS SR552

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•SRES 552 IS 

al history, including 25,400,000 refugees, more than 

40,000,000 internally displaced people, 3,100,000 asylum 

seekers, and 10,000,000 stateless people; 

(3) children comprise 52 percent of the global refugee population, many of whom lack access to education; 

(4) on average, 44,400 people per day are displaced 

from their homes; 

(5) 16,200,000 individuals were newly displaced due 

to conflict or persecution in 2017, including 11,800,000 

internally displaced persons and 4,400,000 refugees and 

asylum seekers; 

(6) more than 68 percent of all refugees worldwide 

come from the following 5 countries: 

(A) Syria, with 6,300,000 refugees; 

(B) Afghanistan, with 2,600,000 refugees; 

(C) South Sudan, with 2,400,000 refugees; 

(D) Myanmar, with 1,200,000 refugees; and 

(E) Somalia, with 986,400 refugees; 

(7) 37 countries resettled 102,800 refugees, less 

than 1 percent of people in need of resettlement, in 2017; 

(8) more than 1⁄2 of the Syrian population was displaced, either across borders or within the country, in 

2016; and 

(9) the need for third-country resettlement continues 

to grow, with over 1,200,000 refugees requiring resettlement in 2017; 

Whereas, during 2017, the United States welcomed a total of 

33,400 refugees, well below the United States Government goal of 45,000 refugee admissions, and a 65-percent drop compared with the 96,900 refugees welcomed 

in 2016; 


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•SRES 552 IS 

Whereas, at this pace, the United States may only admit approximately 20,000 refugees this year; 

Whereas refugees are the most vetted travelers to enter the 

United States and are subject to extensive screening 

checks, including in-person interviews, biometric data 

checks, and multiple interagency checks; 

Whereas refugees contribute to local economies in the United 

States, pay an average of $21,000 more in taxes than 

they receive in benefits, revitalize cities and towns by offsetting population decline, and boost economic growth 

throughout the United States by opening businesses, paying taxes, and buying homes; 

Whereas several industries rely heavily on refugee workers to 

support economic stability, and low rates of refugee arrival has impacted economic growth, especially in towns 

that rely on refugee populations to revitalize their industries; 

Whereas the ongoing crisis in the Democratic Republic of the 

Congo is projected to produce nearly 1,000,000 refugees 

in neighboring countries in 2018; 

Whereas the escalating crisis in Venezuela has forced 

1,500,000 refugees to seek safety in neighboring countries and beyond since 2014; 

Whereas refugee children are 5 times more likely not to be 

in school than non-refugee children; 

Whereas refugee women and children are often at greater 

risk of violence, human trafficking, exploitation, and gender-based violence; and 

Whereas the United States resettlement program is a life-saving solution critical to global humanitarian efforts, which 

strengthens global security, advances United States forVerDate Sep 11 2014 01:55 Jun 21, 2018 Jkt 079200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR552.IS SR552

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•SRES 552 IS 

eign policy goals, and alleviates the burden placed on 

front-line host countries: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) underscores the importance of the United 

3 States Refugee Resettlement Program as a critical 

4 tool for the United States global leadership, includ5 ing leveraging foreign policy, strengthening national 

6 and regional security, and encouraging international 

7 support of refugees; 

8 (2) reaffirms the bipartisan commitment of the 

9 United States to promote the safety, health, and 

10 well-being of refugees, including the education of ref11 ugee children and displaced persons who flee war, 

12 persecution, or torture in search of freedom and 

13 safety; 

14 (3) recognizes individuals who have risked their 

15 lives working individually and for non-governmental 

16 organizations and international agencies, such as 

17 United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, to 

18 provide life-saving assistance and protection for peo19 ple displaced by conflict around the world; and 

20 (4) calls upon the United States Government— 

21 (A) to uphold its international leadership 

22 role responding to the global refugee crisis with 

23 humanitarian assistance and protection for the 

24 most vulnerable; 


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•SRES 552 IS 

1 (B) to continue to provide adequate fund2 ing for refugee resettlement in the United 

3 States and protection for refugees overseas; 

4 (C) to work in partnership with the inter5 national community to find solutions to existing 

6 conflicts and to prevent new conflicts; 

7 (D) to alleviate the burden on front-line 

8 refugee host countries that absorb the majority 

9 of the refugees of the world through humani10 tarian and development support; and 

11 (E) to reaffirm the long-standing tradition 

12 of resettling refugees in the United States re13 gardless of nationality or religion. 

Æ 


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