On the Eve of World Refugee Day, Kennedy, Smith Biden,Hagel, Leahy, Levin, Lieberman Introduce Comprehensive Bill to Address the Iraqi Refugee Crisis

Press Release

On the Eve of World Refugee Day, Kennedy, Smith Biden,Hagel, Leahy, Levin, Lieberman Introduce Comprehensive Bill to Address the Iraqi Refugee Crisis

Because of the war in Iraq, more than two million Iraqis have been internally displaced in their own country, and two million other Iraqis are in neighboring countries throughout the region, primarily Jordan and Syria. The United States has allowed less than 500 Iraqi refugees into the country since the conflict began - only 63 have been admitted this year. The Judiciary Committee highlighted the urgency of this issue in January. Assistant Secretary Sauerbrey has said the U.S. Will accept 25,000 Iraqi refugees this year, but our current system of refugee processing is not working well enough or fast enough.

Today, on the eve of World Refugee Day, Senators Kennedy, Smith, Biden, Hagel, Leahy, Levin and Lieberman, introduced a plan to develop a comprehensive and effective approach to meet the rapidly growing needs of Iraq's refugees and internationally displaced persons, especially those who are associated with the United States. The bill would create a special category of applicants for refugee status for those who have helped the United States and expand the current special immigrant program for translators and interpreters to include others who have supported the American effort in Iraq. The bill would also allow Iraqis denied asylum after March 2003 based on changed conditions to file a new petition with an immigration judge to reopen their cases.

"America has a special obligation to keep faith with the Iraqis who now have a bulls-eye on their back because of their association with our government," Senator Kennedy said. "At our hearing in January, chilling testimony was presented about the dangers Iraqis face because of their association with America. Clearly, we cannot resettle all of Iraq's refugees in the United States, but we have a fundamental responsibility to help the vast number of Iraqis displaced in Iraq and throughout the region by the war and the associated chaos, especially those who have supported America's efforts in Iraq."

"America has a fundamental responsibility to aid the courageous Iraqis who risked their lives to help our efforts in Iraq," Senator Smith said. "It is only right that we work to find a way to meet the needs of the countless individuals whose assistance to our nation has left them in great peril within their own country. This legislation is a step in that direction."

"The Iraqi refugee situation is dire, and we owe it to our Iraqi friends - many of whom have risked their lives to help us - to help them," said Senator Joe Biden, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. "This legislation does just that - but the only long-term solution to Iraq's refugee problem will occur when people feel safe enough to return to their homes. That requires a comprehensive and sustainable political settlement in Iraq. I urge the Bush Administration to lead a concerted international effort to produce such a settlement based on Iraq's communities exercising control over the fabric of their daily lives at the local level. The longer the Bush Administration waits to lead such an effort, the worse the refugee crisis will become."

"America has always led the world in helping refugees find a new life. Our legislation will help the Administration resettle thousands of Iraqis who are the most in need, and have risked their lives to help the United States," Hagel said. "We have a responsibility to help Iraqi refugees who have put their lives in danger helping the United States," said Levin. "I am hopeful that this comprehensive reform plan will help to ensure that they are not punished for the bureaucratic backlogs of our immigration judicial system."

"I am pleased to join this effort to provide some hope to those who have risked their lives assisting the United States in Iraq," Senator Leahy said. "Showing loyalty to those who have been loyal to us is the honorable thing to do, and it's the right thing to do."

"The United States has a profound moral responsibility not to abandon the people of Iraq," Senator Lieberman said. "Just as our brave soldiers are fighting in Baghdad today to ensure that all Iraqis have a country safe from terrorist barbarism, the rest of our government must mobilize to help the Iraqis who have been displaced by the violence."

The Democrats sponsoring this bill are chairs of the Foreign Relations, Armed Services, Judiciary, and Homeland Security. Senator Kennedy is the Chair of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Border Security and Refugees.

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