PREPARED STATEMENT OF JAMES N. PURCELL, JR.

DIRECTOR

BUREAU FOR REFUGEE PROGRAMS

Mr. Chairman and Members of the Committee:

It is a pleasure to appear before you today to present the Department of State's request for the Migration and Refugee Assistance Appropriation for FY 1984. Accompanying me are Robert L. Funseth, Senior Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Bureau, Arthur E. Dewey, Deputy Assistant Secretary, and Rozanne Oliver, Director of the Office of Program and Budget Planning.

This

Our budget request for FY 1984 is $344.5 million. figure is a decrease of $50.5 million from the FY 1983 Continuing Resolution level of funding. Half of this decrease has been made possible by the success of our efforts to reduce refugee admissions to the United States, while continuing to respond to humanitarian needs and U.S. foreign policy interests and responsibilities.

The other half we credit to the absence of such large-scale refugee crises as were experienced in past years, such as the surge of Vietnamese boat people and the Somalia crisis, as well as policy and management initiatives that are containing or reducing the costs of responding to ongoing refugee relief. problems. Furthermore, we have progressed in our efforts to "internationalize" the world's response to refugee problems that is, to encourage broader participation by other nations in supporting refugee programs, especially other developed countries which are able to carry a bigger share of the burden. However, we remain aware that the current decrease in refugee

program needs can be reversed overnight should major conflicts

arise in any of the troubled areas of our world.

Our budget request is presented in four major sub

divisions.

The first area is refugee admissions, with a

request of $117.0 million. This figure is about 34 percent of our total request and a decrease of about $25 million from the FY 1983 funding level. The request is based on the admission of 72,000 refugees to the U.S. in FY 1984, representing a reduction of 18,000 from the FY 1983 consultations level, and one-third the 217,000 consultations level of FY 1981. The 72,000 projected admissions are divided among 46,000 East Asians, 15,000 from the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, 6,000 from the Near East and South Asia, 2,000 from the Western Hemisphere, and 3,000 from Africa.

Activities required to admit refugees include four areas. First, we request $20.5 million for processing of refugees prior to entry. This includes funding the Joint Voluntary Agency Representatives for processing services in Southeast Asia, Pakistan, and some locations in Africa, as well as funding for the voluntary agencies in Europe. Also included: are funding of some necessary management services by the voluntary agencies in the U.S., such as a data information system on refugee admissions, and American Red Cross tracing

activities.

Second, we are requesting about $46.6 million for capitalization of transportation loans through the Intergovernmental Committee for Migration for refugees admitted to the U.S. This takes into account a projected $8 million in loan repayments in

FY 1984.

Reception and placement grants to voluntary agencies which provide initial reception and placement services to newly

admitted refugees is the third area with a request of about

$39.5 million.

This level provides for a small increase over our per-capita amounts allowed in FY 1983 in order to cover the

effects of inflation.

Finally, we are requesting about $10.4 million for the training and orientation of refugees admitted to the United States. We currently have in place a sound program of English language and cultural orientation training for Indochinese refugees awaiting admission in the Refugee Processing Centers. We are requesting funding of program improvements to address the additional training needs of Indochinese refugees least likely to succeed in the United States those who are preliterate or who have very low levels of learning. In addition,

we propose extending our training programs to some other groups of refugees where economically feasible. It is our conclusion that the very small program increases in this area will result in significant savings in domestic welfare costs because refugees enter much better prepared for life in the United States, especially to take entry-level jobs.

Funding requested for relief assistance to refugees overseas is $197.5 million, about 57 percent of our total request and a decrease of $25.8 million from the FY 1983 funding level. Three years ago, the composition of our request was about two-thirds for admission and one-third for relief assistance. We have now reversed these percentages reflecting

the determination of the Administration to seek solutions to refugee crises other than admission to the U.S. We have sought to address refugee needs through assistance in the countries of first asylum and through pursuit of repatriation, resettlement in countries of asylum, or resettlement in third countries other than the U.S. We are pleased that we have succeeded in

doing so while continuing to meet our humanitarian responsibilities through the admission to the U.S. of those who need this solution and are eligible under our laws.

The relief assistance category encompasses a number of programs, particularly relief programs identified by geographic area. In addition, we plan to maintain a small fund to foster resettlement opportunities other than resettlement in the United States, including voluntary repatriation and resettlement in place.

Relief for Indochinese refugees in Southeast Asia is substantially reduced over previous years at our request level of $21.7 million, but remains crucial to support the efforts of the UNHCR and other agencies to address the needs of about 220,000 refugees in UNHCR camps and the quarter of a million Kampuchean refugees who remain in a precarious situation on the Thai-Kampuchean border.

African relief assistance is also reduced from our FY 1983 request to a request of $52.8 million for FY 1984. This reflects not a reduced commitment to the problems of African refugees, but rather the fortunate circumstances which have decreased the needs in some key areas, such as Somalia. Furthermore, a shift in emphasis of relief programs in Africa towards encouraging an early return to economic independence of refugees in countries of asylum is expected to yield substantial benefits for refugee well-being and host country economic and political stability, besides the dollar savings in the reduced U.S. fair share towards those programs.

The Near East continues to be an area of key concern. In support of the President's peace initiatives in the Near East, continued support for Palestine refugees through the work of the United Nation Relief and Works Agency for Palestine refu

gees in the Near East is crucial. In our relief assistance request, we have included $72 million for this purpose. We also intend to continue to fund programs of the UNHCR, the ICRC, and some voluntary agencies for almost 2.8 million Afghan refugees in Pakistan. The sum of $31 million is included for

this purpose.

Consistent with the concerns of the Administration in Latin America and the growing refugee needs in that area, we are increasing our request for funding of programs for Latin American refugees to $13 million, $8 million more than our FY 1983 request. Most of this amount would go towards UNHCR programs, although some will probably be contributed to the ICRC and voluntary agencies.

Finally, under relief assistance, we have requested

$7 million for resettlement assistance programs. In accordance with the U.S. policy of encouraging solutions to refugee problems which minimize the need to resettle refugees in the United States, we intend to pursue the development of other resettlement options, including voluntary repatriation, resettlement in countries of first asylum, and resettlement in

non-traditional resettlement countries.

Also included in our request is $22.4 million for "Other Activities". This item includes the U.S. contribution of $2 million to the so-called "ordinary program" of the International Committee of the Red Cross for their administrative expenses, as well as a $1.75 million contribution to their special program for visitation of political detainees. The Intergovernmental Committee for Migration is funded at about $3.15 million for their assessed administrative budget, and about $2 million for their voluntary programs as for FY 1983.

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the same level

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