IV 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 526 

Reaffirming the importance of the United States promoting the safety, health, 

and well-being of refugees and displaced persons in the United States 

and around the world. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 20, 2023 

Mr. LIEU (for himself, Ms. WILSON of Florida, Ms. NORTON, Ms. 

VELA ́ZQUEZ, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN, Ms. CLARKE of 

New York, Ms. LEE of California, Mr. TRONE, Ms. TLAIB, Mr. POCAN, 

Ms. OMAR, Ms. CROCKETT, Mr. CA ́RDENAS, Mr. THANEDAR, Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia, Ms. JAYAPAL, Mr. CONNOLLY, Mr. MULLIN, Mr. 

ESPAILLAT, Mr. ROBERT GARCIA of California, Ms. DELBENE, Mr. 

CLEAVER, Mr. PETERS, Ms. MCCOLLUM, Ms. BONAMICI, Ms. TOKUDA, 

Mr. CARBAJAL, Mr. MCGOVERN, Ms. LEGER FERNANDEZ, Ms. WILLIAMS

of Georgia, Ms. LEE of Pennsylvania, Mr. NADLER, Ms. JACKSON LEE, 

Mr. EVANS, Mr. COHEN, Ms. BARRAGA ́N, Ms. GARCIA of Texas, Mr. 

GREEN of Texas, Mr. SMITH of Washington, Mr. BLUMENAUER, Mrs. 

MCCLELLAN, Ms. BALINT, Mr. VICENTE GONZALEZ of Texas, Mrs. 

CHERFILUS-MCCORMICK, Mrs. FOUSHEE, Mr. GARCI ́A of Illinois, Ms. JACOBS, Mr. CARSON, Ms. ESCOBAR, Mr. KHANNA, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. 

SOTO, and Mrs. TORRES of California) submitted the following resolution; 

which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition 

to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions 

as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

RESOLUTION 

Reaffirming the importance of the United States promoting 

the safety, health, and well-being of refugees and displaced persons in the United States and around the 

world. 


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•HRES 526 IH 

Whereas June 20, 2023, is an international day designated 

by the United Nations as ‘‘World Refugee Day,’’ to honor 

refugees around the globe and celebrate the strength and 

courage of people who have been forced to flee their 

homes to escape conflict or persecution due to their race, 

religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a 

particular social group; 

Whereas July 28, 2023, is the 72nd anniversary of the adoption of the Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, 

done at Geneva July 28, 1951, which defines the term 

‘‘refugee’’ and outlines the rights of refugees and the 

legal obligations of nation states to protect such rights; 

Whereas the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (referred to in this preamble as ‘‘UNHCR’’) has recently reported that— 

(1) there are more than 108,000,000 displaced people who have been forced from their homes worldwide, 

which is more displaced people than at any other time in 

recorded history, including more than 35,200,000 refugees and 62,500,000 internally displaced persons; 

(2) 67 percent of the world’s refugees originate from 

just Syria, Ukraine, Afghanistan, or Venezuela; 

(3) more than 50 percent of the population of Syria 

(at least 13,000,000 people) have been displaced since 

the beginning of the Syrian civil war in 2011, either 

exiting Syria across the international border or going to 

other areas within Syria, and this displacement crisis has 

been exacerbated by major earthquakes that struck 

Turkiye and Syria in early February 2023; 

(4) more than 14,000,000 Ukrainian nationals and 

other third country nationals are currently displaced as 

a result of Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine; 


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•HRES 526 IH 

(5) there are an estimated 5,700,000 Afghan refugees around the world, of whom more than 90 percent 

are hosted in either Iran or Pakistan, while an additional 

3,500,000 Afghans are internally displaced, having fled 

their homes searching for refuge within Afghanistan; 

(6) Latin America and the Caribbean currently host 

84 percent of the more than 7,000,000 Venezuelan refugees and migrants globally, and the Americas currently 

host approximately 20,000,000 refugees, asylum-seekers, 

and stateless people from around the world; 

(7) more than 1,800,000 people are currently displaced due to the ongoing conflict in Sudan, and a large 

majority of such people are women and children who are 

traveling to neighboring countries; and 

(8) 76 percent of all refugees worldwide are hosted 

in low and middle income countries and fewer than 1 percent of vulnerable refugees in need of resettlement have 

had such opportunity due to lack of sufficient resettlement places; 

Whereas welcoming people from around the world who have 

been oppressed and persecuted is a central tenet of our 

great Nation, and the United States is home to a diverse 

population of refugees and immigrants who have added 

to the economic strengths and cultural richness of our 

communities; 

Whereas, since seeking asylum is a protected right under 

United States domestic and international law, the United 

States is legally obligated to contribute to the maintenance of a humane and functioning international asylum 

system; 

Whereas the principle of non-refoulement is also a central 

tenet of the United States refugee and asylum systems, 


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•HRES 526 IH 

and thousands of people living in the United States who 

immigrated from countries around the world would be 

subject to harm if they were deported to their countries 

of origin due to widespread conflict or persecution in 

such countries; 

Whereas the United States Refugee Admissions Program, 

which was established in 1980— 

(1) is a lifesaving pillar of global humanitarian efforts; 

(2) advances United States national security and 

foreign policy goals; and 

(3) supports regional host countries; 

Whereas resettlement is an essential part of a comprehensive 

strategy to respond to refugee crises, promote regional 

stability, and strengthen United States national security; 

Whereas resettlement to the United States is available for the 

most vulnerable refugees who undergo rigorous security 

vetting and medical screening processes; 

Whereas the United States supports the efforts of the 

UNHCR to increase protection for, and the global resettlement of, LGBTQI+ refugees overseas; 

Whereas women and girls have an increased risk of sexual violence, exploitation, and trafficking while they are traveling to seek safe living conditions; 

Whereas through the United States Refugee Resettlement 

Program— 

(1) only 11,411 refugees arrived in the United 

States during fiscal year 2021, which is the lowest number of refugees for any fiscal year since the program 

began; 


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•HRES 526 IH 

(2) only 25,465 refugees arrived in the United 

States during fiscal year 2022 despite an admissions goal 

of 125,000; and 

(3) as of May 30, 2023, 31,797 refugees had arrived 

in the United States during fiscal year 2023; 

Whereas resettlement organizations, businesses, and other 

community and faith-based groups offer support for refugees who resettle in the United States; 

Whereas, between 2005 and 2014, refugees who have resettled in the United States contributed an estimated 

$269,100,000,000 to the national economy, which far 

surpasses the $206,100,000,000 spent by the United 

States to assist refugees worldwide during such period; 

and 

Whereas most refugees integrate and quickly become self-sufficient by joining the workforce, paying taxes, supporting 

local commerce, helping to fill labor shortages in critical 

industries, and creating new jobs: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) recognizes the urgency to establish and fol3 low comprehensive, fair, and humane policies to ad4 dress forced migration and refugee challenges; 

5 (2) reaffirms the bipartisan commitment of the 

6 United States to promote the safety, health, and 

7 well-being of millions of refugees and asylum seek8 ers, including the education of refugee children and 

9 displaced persons fleeing war, persecution, or torture 

10 in search of protection, peace, hope, and freedom; 


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•HRES 526 IH 

1 (3) recognizes the many individuals who have 

2 risked their lives working, either individually or on 

3 behalf of nongovernmental organizations or inter4 national agencies, such as the United Nations High 

5 Commissioner for Refugees (referred to in this reso6 lution as ‘‘UNHCR’’), to provide lifesaving assist7 ance and protection for people around the world who 

8 have been displaced from their homes; 

9 (4) reaffirms the imperative to fully restore 

10 United States asylum protections enshrined in the 

11 Refugee Act of 1980 (Public Law 96–212) by reject12 ing harmful bans and restrictions that limit refu13 gees’ access to protections and due process at the 

14 United States border; 

15 (5) reaffirms the importance of the United 

16 States Refugee Resettlement Program as a critical 

17 tool of the United States Government— 

18 (A) to strengthen national and regional se19 curity; and 

20 (B) to encourage international solidarity 

21 with host countries; and 

22 (6) calls upon the Secretary of State, the Sec23 retary of Homeland Security, and the United States 

24 Ambassador to the United Nations— 


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•HRES 526 IH 

1 (A) to uphold the United States inter2 national leadership role in responding to dis3 placement crises with humanitarian assistance, 

4 and restoring its leadership role in the protec5 tion of vulnerable refugee populations that en6 dure gender-based violence, human trafficking, 

7 persecution, and violence against religious mi8 norities, forced conscription, genocide, and ex9 ploitation; 

10 (B) to work in partnership with the inter11 national community to find solutions to existing 

12 conflicts, prevent new conflicts from emerging, 

13 and tackle the root causes of involuntary migra14 tion; 

15 (C) to continue supporting the efforts of 

16 the UNHCR and advance the work of non17 governmental organizations to protect refugees 

18 and asylum seekers regardless of their country 

19 of origin, race, ethnicity, or religious beliefs; 

20 (D) to continue to alleviate pressures, 

21 through humanitarian and development assist22 ance, on frontline refugee host countries that 

23 absorb the majority of the world’s refugees, 

24 while effectively advocating for refugee wellVerDate Sep 11 2014 00:36 Jun 21, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\HR526.IH HR526

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•HRES 526 IH 

1 being, including access to education and liveli2 hoods; 

3 (E) to meaningfully include refugees and 

4 displaced populations in creating and achieving 

5 the policy solutions affecting them; 

6 (F) to respond to the global refugee crisis 

7 by meeting robust refugee admissions goals; 

8 (G) to actively participate in the Global 

9 Refugee Forum scheduled to take place in Ge10 neva in December 2023 to advance United 

11 States goals and gain commitments from the 

12 global community to expand refugee protection; 

13 and 

14 (H) to reaffirm the goals of ‘‘World Ref15 ugee Day’’ and reiterate the United States 

16 strong commitment to protect refugees and asy17 lum seekers who live without adequate material, 

18 social, or legal protections. 

Æ 


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