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| Achievements and Prospects for the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program |
| 2004-09-26 |
| Some underpublicized facts, excerpted from Arthur E. Deway, Assistant Secretary for Population, Refugees, and Migration in his 9/21 statement before the Senate Committee on the Judiciary, Subcommittee on Immigration, Border Security and Citizenship. [...] As President Bush said last June, it is important that America be a welcoming society. We lead the world in offering resettlement to those in need, and we encourage other countries to develop resettlement programs. The US is an illogical society. In the aftermath of an attack from an alien culture, in the face of world wide ridicule, we don't close down immigration we open up our doors wider. [...] These initiatives, which I will discuss, helped us attain our ambitious goals for the Fiscal Year 2004 program. After 2 years of adjusting to the changes brought about by 9/11, and continuing to respond to the end of Cold War, we have made a robust program. When September 30 arrives, based on anticipated developments, we project that refugee admissions will have increased nearly 80% over FY 2003, despite logistical and security challenges that kept per capita costs high -- $3,500 per refugee admitted compared to $2,200 in FY 2001. So long as we receive adequate funding, I am confident that we have a system in place that is capable of sustaining or increasing admissions numbers in coming years. |
| Posted by:Super Hose |