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.

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 533 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>






119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 533

 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 23, 2025

 Mr. Lieu (for himself, Mr. Amo, Ms. Ansari, Ms. Balint, Mrs. Beatty, 
 Mrs. Cherfilus-McCormick, Ms. Chu, Mr. Cisneros, Mr. Cohen, Mr. Davis 
 of Illinois, Ms. DeGette, Ms. DelBene, Mr. DeSaulnier, Mr. Espaillat, 
Mr. Garcia of Illinois, Mr. Garcia of California, Ms. Garcia of Texas, 
   Mr. Jackson of Illinois, Ms. Jayapal, Mr. Johnson of Georgia, Mr. 
  Khanna, Mr. Carter of Louisiana, Ms. Lee of Pennsylvania, Ms. Leger 
 Fernandez, Mr. Lynch, Ms. McClellan, Ms. McCollum, Mr. McGovern, Mr. 
Menendez, Ms. Moore of Wisconsin, Mr. Moulton, Mr. Mullin, Mr. Nadler, 
 Ms. Norton, Ms. Ocasio-Cortez, Ms. Omar, Ms. Pelosi, Mr. Pocan, Mrs. 
Ramirez, Ms. Schakowsky, Mr. Soto, Mr. Thanedar, Ms. Titus, Ms. Tlaib, 
 Ms. Tokuda, Mr. Tonko, Mr. Tran, Mrs. Watson Coleman, Ms. Williams of 
  Georgia, Ms. Velazquez, and Mr. Kennedy of New York) 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.

Whereas June 20, 2025, is an international day designated by the United Nations 
        as ``World Refugee Day'', to recognize 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, 2025, is the 74th anniversary of the adoption of the Convention 
        relating to the Status of Refugees, held at Geneva on 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, in 2025, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (referred to 
        in this preamble as ``UNHCR'') reported that as of the end of 2024--

    (1) there were more than 123,000,000 displaced people who had been 
forced from their homes worldwide, which is more displaced people than at 
any other time in recorded history, including more than 31,000,000 
refugees, 8,400,000 asylum seekers, and 73,500,000 internally displaced 
persons;

    (2) 73 percent of all refugees worldwide were hosted in low- and 
middle-income countries and fewer than 1 percent of refugees are ever 
resettled;

    (3) there were 6,100,000 Syrian refugees and asylum-seekers and an 
additional 7,400,000 people displaced inside Syria as a result of years of 
conflict, but the fall of the Assad regime has raised renewed hope for 
return for many displaced Syrians, with more than 500,000 Syrian refugees 
returning to the country and an estimated 1,200,000 internally displaced 
Syrians returning to their area of origin as of May 2025;

    (4) approximately 8,800,000 Ukrainians were forcibly displaced as a 
result of the ongoing invasion of Ukraine by Russia, including more than 
5,700,000 Ukrainian refugees;

    (5) there were an estimated 5,800,000 Afghan refugees around the world, 
representing a decrease from 2023 in part due to deportations from refugee-
hosting countries, which placed vulnerable Afghans, including women and 
girls, at risk of persecution;

    (6) more than 14,300,000 people were forcibly displaced due to the 
ongoing conflict in Sudan, representing nearly 1 in 3 Sudanese, including 
an estimated 2,800,000 refugees who have fled to neighboring countries, 
many of whom are women or children;

    (7) there were more than 6,000,000 Venezuelan refugees and migrants 
globally, the majority of whom were hosted in Latin America;

    (8) more than 1,000,000 people were forcibly displaced in Haiti due to 
widespread violence, representing a 200 percent increase during the year;

    (9) 90 percent of the population of Gaza (approximately 2,000,000 
people) had been internally displaced since October 2023;

    (10) in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, one of the largest 
internal displacement crises in the world continued to grow, with 
approximately 7,400,000 forcibly displaced people within or from the 
country as a result of violence between armed groups;

    (11) an estimated 1,100,000 Rohingya refugees resided in Bangladesh, 
constituting the largest refugee settlement in the world, with thousands 
more Rohingya refugees residing in nearby countries; and

    (12) in the Sahel region, which encompasses Burkina Faso, Mali, and 
Niger, an estimated 3,500,000 people were forced to flee their homes, an 89 
percent increase since the end of 2020;

Whereas the vast majority of people fleeing persecution do not have access to 
        refugee resettlement and instead must seek protection through asylum or 
        other humanitarian pathways;
Whereas welcoming people from around the world who have been oppressed and 
        persecuted is a tenet of our Nation and the United States is home to a 
        diverse population of refugees and immigrants who contribute 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 or to 
        third countries 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, through the United States Refugee Admissions Program the number of 
        refugees who arrived in the United States increased from only 11,411 
        during fiscal year 2021 to 100,034 during fiscal year 2024;
Whereas Executive Order 14163 (90 Fed. Reg. 8459; relating to realigning the 
        United States Refugee Admissions Program), which was issued on January 
        20, 2025, indefinitely suspending all refugee admissions to the United 
        States, put at risk the lives and well-being of refugees fleeing 
        violence and persecution, including Afghans, Burmese Rohingya, and 
        Sudanese;
Whereas, as of June 2025, the ongoing refugee admissions ban remains in effect;
Whereas--

    (1) more than 100,000 refugees who had been conditionally approved for 
refugee status by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services remain 
indefinitely stranded;

    (2) more than 22,000 refugees who were considered ``ready for 
departure'' and who had completed all necessary medical checks, security 
screenings, and interviews remain indefinitely stranded; and

    (3) more than 12,000 refugees who had flights booked to travel to the 
United States, many of whom had begun to move and sell belongings in 
preparation for their resettlement, remain indefinitely stranded;

Whereas the Trump administration's selective resettlement of Afrikaners to the 
        United States over tens of thousands of already-approved refugees who 
        have fled persecution is a politically motivated and unjust decision 
        that excludes those most in need of protection;
Whereas the Constitution of the United States protects all individuals within 
        its jurisdiction, regardless of citizenship status, and should afford 
        refugees and asylum seekers full due process before deportation or other 
        adverse action affecting their protection;
Whereas attempts to suspend refugee admissions, bar individuals based on 
        religion or nationality, or implement blanket asylum bans and 
        indiscriminate removal or detention policies are inconsistent with the 
        Constitution of the United States, the Refugee Act of 1980 (Public Law 
        96-212), our treaty obligations, and established international human 
        rights norms;
Whereas the Trump administration's travel ban, issued in Proclamation 10949, 
        dated June 4, 2025 (90 Fed. Reg. 24497), which went into effect on June 
        9, 2025, blocking individuals from 12 countries from entering the United 
        States and restricting the entry of nationals from 7 other countries, 
        could deny refugees and asylum-seekers fleeing conflict, violence, and 
        persecution the chance to seek safe refuge in the United States;
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 refugee resettlement organizations, businesses, and other community and 
        faith-based groups offer support for refugees who resettle in the United 
        States, and groups of private citizens step forward to support newly 
        arrived refugees through Welcome Corps, a refugee sponsorship initiative 
        under the United States Refugee Admissions Program, which was terminated 
        by the Trump administration;
Whereas, according to a study by the Department of Health and Human Services, 
        between 2005 and 2019, refugees and asylees in the United States 
        contributed an estimated $581,000,000,000 in total revenue across all 
        levels of government;
Whereas most refugees integrate and quickly become self-sufficient members of 
        their respective communities by joining the workforce, paying taxes, 
        supporting local commerce, helping to address labor demand in critical 
        industries, and creating new jobs;
Whereas robust funding for international and domestic protection and assistance 
        for refugees and other displaced populations bolsters United States 
        national security, foreign policy, economic, and humanitarian interests; 
        and
Whereas the Trump administration's sweeping cuts to United States foreign 
        assistance have reduced support to refugees abroad, including through 
        the reduction in food rations to refugees in camps, threatening to 
        destabilize fragile situations: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) recognizes the urgency to establish and follow 
        comprehensive, fair, and humane policies to address forced 
        migration and refugee challenges;
            (2) reaffirms the bipartisan commitment of the United 
        States to promote the safety, health, and well-being of 
        millions of refugees and asylum seekers, including the 
        education of refugee children and displaced persons fleeing 
        war, persecution, or torture in search of protection, peace, 
        hope, and freedom;
            (3) recognizes the many individuals who have risked their 
        lives working, either individually or on behalf of 
        nongovernmental organizations or international agencies, such 
        as UNHCR, to provide lifesaving assistance and protection for 
        people around the world who have been displaced from their 
        homes;
            (4) reaffirms the imperative to fully restore United States 
        asylum protections enshrined in the Refugee Act of 1980 (Public 
        Law 96-212) by rejecting harmful bans and restrictions that 
        limit refugees' access to protections and due process at the 
        United States border;
            (5) reaffirms the importance of the United States Refugee 
        Admissions Program as a critical tool of the United States 
        Government--
                    (A) to strengthen national and regional security; 
                and
                    (B) to encourage international solidarity with host 
                countries;
            (6) calls upon President Trump to lift the indefinite 
        suspension of the United States Refugee Admissions Program and 
        to fully restore resettlement to the United States; and
            (7) calls upon the Secretary of State, the Secretary of 
        Homeland Security, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, 
        and the United States Ambassador to the United Nations--
                    (A) to uphold the United States' international 
                leadership role in responding to displacement crises 
                with humanitarian assistance and to strengthen its 
                leadership role in the protection of vulnerable refugee 
                populations that endure gender-based violence, torture, 
                human trafficking, persecution, and violence against 
                religious minorities, forced conscription, genocide, 
                and exploitation;
                    (B) to work in partnership with the international 
                community to find solutions to existing conflicts, 
                prevent new conflicts from emerging, and tackle the 
                root causes of involuntary migration;
                    (C) to continue supporting the efforts of the UNHCR 
                and advance the work of nongovernmental organizations 
                to protect refugees and asylum seekers regardless of 
                their country of origin, race, ethnicity, or religious 
                beliefs;
                    (D) to continue to alleviate pressures, through 
                humanitarian and development assistance, on frontline 
                refugee host countries that absorb the majority of the 
                world's refugees, while effectively advocating for 
                refugee well-being, including access to education and 
                livelihoods;
                    (E) to meaningfully include refugees and displaced 
                populations in creating and achieving the policy 
                solutions affecting them;
                    (F) to respond to the global refugee crisis by 
                meeting robust refugee admissions goals;
                    (G) to implement the United States pledges made at 
                the Global Refugee Forum held in Geneva in December 
                2023 to expand refugee protection;
                    (H) to address barriers faced by refugees with 
                disabilities by ensuring accessible infrastructure and 
                the availability of disability-related services and 
                social protection schemes; and
                    (I) to reaffirm the goals of ``World Refugee Day'' 
                and reiterate the United States strong commitment to 
                protect refugees and asylum seekers who live without 
                adequate material, social, or legal protections.
                                 <all>