III 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 258 

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 SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JUNE 20, 2023 

Mr. MENENDEZ (for himself, Mr. BLUMENTHAL, Mr. BOOKER, Mr. CARDIN, 

Mr. COONS, Ms. DUCKWORTH, Mr. DURBIN, Mr. FETTERMAN, Mr. 

HICKENLOOPER, Ms. HIRONO, Mr. KAINE, Ms. KLOBUCHAR, Mr. MARKEY, Mr. MERKLEY, Mr. MURPHY, Mrs. MURRAY, Mr. WARNOCK, Mr. 

WELCH, Mr. WHITEHOUSE, and Mr. WYDEN) submitted the following 

resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations 

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. 

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; 


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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; 

(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 


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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, 

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— 


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(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; 

(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, only 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; 


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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 Senate— 

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; 

11 (3) recognizes the many individuals who have 

12 risked their lives working, either individually or on 

13 behalf of nongovernmental organizations or inter14 national agencies, such as the United Nations High 

15 Commissioner for Refugees (referred to in this reso16 lution as ‘‘UNHCR’’), to provide lifesaving assistVerDate Sep 11 2014 02:15 Jun 21, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\SR258.IS SR258

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1 ance and protection for people around the world who 

2 have been displaced from their homes; 

3 (4) reaffirms the imperative to fully restore 

4 United States asylum protections enshrined in the 

5 Refugee Act of 1980 (Public Law 96–212) by reject6 ing harmful bans and restrictions that limit refu7 gees’ access to protections and due process at the 

8 United States border; 

9 (5) reaffirms the importance of the United 

10 States Refugee Resettlement Program as a critical 

11 tool of the United States Government— 

12 (A) to strengthen national and regional se13 curity; and 

14 (B) to encourage international solidarity 

15 with host countries; and 

16 (6) calls upon the Secretary of State, the Sec17 retary of Homeland Security, and the United States 

18 Ambassador to the United Nations— 

19 (A) to uphold the United States inter20 national leadership role in responding to dis21 placement crises with humanitarian assistance, 

22 and restoring its leadership role in the protec23 tion of vulnerable refugee populations that en24 dure gender-based violence, human trafficking, 

25 persecution, and violence against religious miVerDate Sep 11 2014 02:15 Jun 21, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\SR258.IS SR258

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1 norities, forced conscription, genocide, and ex2 ploitation; 

3 (B) to work in partnership with the inter4 national community to find solutions to existing 

5 conflicts, prevent new conflicts from emerging, 

6 and tackle the root causes of involuntary migra7 tion; 

8 (C) to continue supporting the efforts of 

9 the UNHCR and advance the work of non10 governmental organizations to protect refugees 

11 and asylum seekers regardless of their country 

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

13 (D) to continue to alleviate pressures, 

14 through humanitarian and development assist15 ance, on frontline refugee host countries that 

16 absorb the majority of the world’s refugees, 

17 while effectively advocating for refugee well18 being, including access to education and liveli19 hoods; 

20 (E) to meaningfully include refugees and 

21 displaced populations in creating and achieving 

22 the policy solutions affecting them; 

23 (F) to respond to the global refugee crisis 

24 by meeting robust refugee admissions goals; 


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1 (G) to actively participate in the Global 

2 Refugee Forum scheduled to take place in Ge3 neva in December 2023 to advance United 

4 States goals and gain commitments from the 

5 global community to expand refugee protection; 

6 and 

7 (H) to reaffirm the goals of ‘‘World Ref8 ugee Day’’ and reiterate the United States 

9 strong commitment to protect refugees and asy10 lum seekers who live without adequate material, 

11 social, or legal protections. 

Æ 


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