Kennedy, Biden Release Report on Iraqi Refugees

Press Release

KENNEDY, BIDEN RELEASE REPORT ON IRAQI REFUGEES

Today, Senators Edward M. Kennedy and Joseph Biden released a report detailing the lack of American leadership in the Iraqi refugee crisis. An estimated two million Iraqi refugees have been displaced from their homes and are living in Syria and Jordan, with another two million displaced within Iraq.

The report makes several recommendations for responding to the humanitarian crisis, namely that the White House appoint a senior coordinator to manage the U.S. response to the crisis and significantly increase U.S. funding commitments to reflect a fifty percent contribution of all appeals by the United Nations and other international organizations to support Iraqi refugees and displaced persons. The report states that the United States must develop a comprehensive, coordinated assistance strategy and lead international efforts in soliciting international contributions. Encouraging countries which host Iraqi refugees to provide legal protections to Iraqi refugees is also recommended in the report.

Senator Kennedy said, "President Bush has an obligation to show leadership on the issue of Iraqi refugees, and I hope he will address this critical topic in his speech on Thursday. To date, the President has not publicly stated that the U.S. has a moral obligation to help Iraqi refugees. Since the Samarra bombing in February 2006, and the massive exodus and displacement of Iraqis, President Bush has ignored the crisis because it contradicts his view of events in Iraq. Millions of refugees are suffering, and White House leadership is essential."

"While the number of Iraqis being forced from their homes has declined, the humanitarian needs of those who have already been displaced have not," said Senator Biden. "As we debate the future of America's involvement in Iraq here in Washington, I hope we can all agree that the United States has a moral obligation to provide assistance to the millions of displaced Iraqis and refugees this war has created."

Senators Kennedy, Lugar, Biden and others will introduce a bipartisan bill providing additional authority for continued processing of special immigrant visas for qualified Iraqi and Afghan translators who worked for the U.S. military and U.S. government. The National Defense Authorization Act for FY 2008, enacted January 28, 2008, created 5,000 new special immigrant visas for Iraqis whose lives are at risk because of their service to the U.S. government. These special visas are not available until FY 2009. Senator Kennedy's bipartisan bill would make the visas available immediately to qualified Iraqis who worked for the U.S. military and the U.S. government. Iraqi translators and interpreters who placed their lives, families, and livelihoods at risk to serve on the side of America are eligible for these special visas. Others cosponsors include Senators Leahy, Specter, Levin, Cornyn, Obama, Lieberman, McCain, Durbin, Sununu, Cardin, Smith, Hagel and Coleman.

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