Written Testimny f Mst Reverend Eusebi Eliznd, M.Sp. Auxiliary Bishp f the Archdicese f Seattle, WA Chairman, U.S. Cnference f Cathlic Bishps Cmmittee n Migratin Fr a Hearing Befre the Senate Judiciary Cmmittee s Subcmmitee n The Cnstitutin, Civil Rights and Human Rights The Onging Syrian Refugee Crisis 2:30 p.m., Tuesday, January 7, 2014 Rm 216 Hart Senate Office Building
I am Bishp Eusebi Eliznd, auxiliary bishp f the archdicese f Seattle, WA, and chairman f the U.S. Cnference f Cathlic Bishps (USCCB) Cmmittee n Migratin. I prvide this written statement tday n behalf f the Cmmittee n Migratin t give the Cathlic Church s perspective abut the nging Syrian refugee crisis. I wuld like t thank Chairman Richard Durbin (D- IL), Ranking Member Ted Cruz (R- TX), and subcmmittee members fr the pprtunity t cmment n the crisis. A USCCB delegatin travelled t the regin in Octber 2012 and cmpleted a reprt titled, Missin t the Middle East: Reprt f the U.S. Cnference f Cathlic Bishps n Syrian Refugees (Cathlic Syria Reprt 2012). While ur missin t the regin was ver a year ag, many f the humanitarian challenges f the cnflict and the suffering f its victims- - have persisted and increased, withut a crrespnding humanitarian respnse frm the internatinal cmmunity. Mr. Chairman, I ask that the reprt f that trip be included in the hearing recrd. In this current statement, I will integrate and update ur bservatins and recmmendatins frm that reprt. Cathlics and all Christians are reminded this time f year when celebrating the birth f Jesus, that ne f Jesus first experiences as an infant was t flee fr his life frm King Herd with his family t Egypt. Jesus, Mary, and Jseph were refugees in the Middle East and faced sme f the same fear, uncertainty, and dislcatin as the millins f Syrians imperiled by this crisis face tday. The situatin is especially urgent given the unprecedented size, cmplexity, and rate f grwth f the displaced ppulatin. There were 550,000 Syrian refugees in the regin when we visited in Octber 2012. After little mre than a year, the number f Syrian refugees has grwn t 2.3 millin, including 1.1 millin children, 75% f whm are less than 12 years ld. Mr. Chairman, in my testimny tday the U.S. Cathlic bishps recmmend that Cngress: Wrk with ther gvernments t btain a ceasefire in Syria, initiate serius negtiatins, increase impartial humanitarian assistance, and give safe passage f that assistance, especially fr internally displaced peple (IDPs), and encurage effrts t build an inclusive sciety in Syria that prtects the rights f all its citizens, including Christians and ther minrities. Encurage hst cuntries in the regin t maintain brder and migratin enfrcement plicies and practices that enable peple t safely flee frm Syria and find humane prtectin and care withut imprper rejectin at the brder, deprtatin, r arbitrary detentin in pr cnditins. Prvide mre U.S. supprt and encurage mre internatinal supprt fr refugees in the regin, especially children, fr their basic necessities f life, immediate prtectin, primary and secndary educatin, and systems that lay the grundwrk fr all durable slutins; and prvide hst cuntries additinal husing, fd, water, sanitatin, health, educatin, and transprtatin infrastructure t allw them t hst such large numbers f refugees. Meaningfully increase U.S. resettlement thrugh an emergency rder t at least 15,000 Syrians fr FY2014 and urge all ther resettlement natins t increase resettlement f the mst vulnerable refugees t 15,000, including unaccmpanied refugee minrs (URMs), wmen with children, minrity grups, thse with serius health cncerns, the elderly and thse in immediate danger, thereby prtecting them and sharing the hst cuntries burden. 2
Increase U.S. resettlement and urge ther natins t increase resettlement f ther vulnerable refugees in the regin t prtect them and share the burden with hst cuntries. Urge the Department f Hmeland Security (DHS), in cnsultatin with the Department f State (DOS) and the Department f Justice (DOJ), t expeditiusly remve unjust impediments t U.S. resettlement by implementing discretinary authrity t grant exemptins frm verly brad terrrism related inadmissibility grunds (TRIG) f U.S. immigratin law. I. Cathlic Scial Teaching The Cathlic Church is a migrant and refugee church. The Cathlic Church in the United States, fr example, is made up f mre than 58 ethnic grups frm thrughut the wrld, including Asia, Africa, the Near East, the Middle East, and Latin America. I myself am frm Latin America. We have a lng histry f invlvement in refugee and child prtectin, bth in the advcacy arena and in welcming and integrating waves f immigrants and refugees wh have helped build ur natin as ne that embraces ethnic diversity while sharing cmmn values. Migratin and Refugee Services f USCCB (USCCB/MRS) is the largest U.S. refugee resettlement agency, resettling ne millin f the three millin refugees wh have cme t ur cuntry since 1975, and is a natinal leader in caring fr unaccmpanied refugee and migrant children. We wrk with ver 100 Cathlic Charities acrss the cuntry t welcme and serve refugees and unaccmpanied alien children. The U.S. Cathlic Church als relates clsely with the Cathlic Church in cuntries thrughut the wrld, where ur wrldwide Cathlic cmmunin serves the needs f the mst marginalized regardless f natinality r religius affiliatin. We serve many refugees, internally displaced persns, and hst natins straining under the large influx f peple fleeing persecutin and war. The Church s deep experience in cmbating pverty and frced migratin and their rt causes in the Middle East als includes the wrk f, amng thers, Cathlic Relief Services (CRS), the fficial verseas relief and develpment agency f the U.S. Cathlic bishps, the Internatinal Cathlic Migratin Cmmissin (ICMC), f which USCCB is the largest member, Caritas Internatinal, Jesuit Refugee Services (JRS), and the Cathlic Near East Welfare Assciatin (CNEWA). The Cathlic Church s wrk f assisting all migrants everywhere stems frm the belief that every persn is created in Gd s image. In the Old Testament, Gd calls upn his peple t care fr the alien because f their wn experience as aliens: S, yu, t, must befriend the alien, fr yu were nce aliens yurselves in the land f Egypt (Deut. 10:17-19). In the New Testament, the image f the migrant is seen in the life and teachings f Jesus Christ. In his wn life and wrk, Jesus identified himself with newcmers and with ther marginalized persns in a special way: I was a stranger and yu welcmed me (Mt. 25:35). Jesus himself was an itinerant preacher withut a hme f his wn, and as nted abve, a refugee fleeing t Egypt t avid persecutin and death (Mt. 2:15). In mdern times, ppes ver the last 100 years have develped the Church s teaching n migratin, teaching that has been frequently applied by subsequent ppes and church leaders. Ppe Pius XII reaffirmed the Cathlic Church s cmmitment t caring fr pilgrims, aliens, exiles, refugees, and migrants f every kind, affirming that all peples have the right t cnditins wrthy f human life and, if these cnditins are nt present, the right t migrate. 1 In ur jint pastral letter, Strangers N Lnger: Tgether n the Jurney f Hpe, A Pastral Letter Cncerning 1 Ppe Pius XII, Exsul Familia (On the Spiritual Care f Migrants), September, 1952. 3
Migratin, January 23, 2003, the U.S. and Mexican Cathlic bishps call fr natins t wrk tward a glbalizatin f slidarity. It is nw time t harmnize plicies n the mvement f peple, particularly in a way that respects the human dignity f the migrant and recgnizes the scial cnsequences f glbalizatin N. 57. Further,"[r]efugees and asylum seekers shuld be affrded prtectin. Thse wh flee wars and persecutin shuld be prtected by the glbal cmmunity. This requires, at a minimum, that migrants have a right t claim refugee status withut incarceratin and t have their claims fully cnsidered by a cmpetent authrity" N. 37; and that asylum seekers and refugees shuld "have access t apprpriate due prcess prtectins cnsistent with internatinal law" N. 99. Als, ]b]ecause f their heightened vulnerability, unaccmpanied minrs require special cnsideratin and care" N. 82. Recently, Ppe Francis defended the rights f refugees and migrants, traveling t Lampedusa, Italy, t call fr their prtectin. He decried the glbalizatin f indifference and the thrwaway culture that leads t the disregard f thse fleeing persecutin in rder t seek a better life. II. Overview f the Onging Syrian Refugee Crisis War is like fire. A fire eats everything befre it. S des war. There is n peace anywhere, says a Syrian Christian refugee wman in Lebann served by CNEWA, a Cathlic aid grup. The Syrian refugee crisis deserves the full attentin and mbilizatin f the internatinal cmmunity. Since the recent USCCB trip t the regin, the armed cnflict has escalated acrss Syria. It threatens nging large- scale destructin, human suffering, and death inside the cuntry and destabilizatin f the whle regin. The size, scpe, rapid grwth and cmplexity f Syria s frced migratin are reasns fr deep cncern. With the brutal cnflict and ever- grwing frced migratin, there is a serius lack f shelter, fd, water, sanitatin, educatin, health care, and prtectin inside Syria and in neighbring cuntries that hst Syrian refugees. The cnflict has reprtedly caused ver 130,000 deaths, mre than 40,000 f them civilian. 2 Sme 40% f Syrians have been frced frm their hmes, including 6.5 millin internally displaced peple (IDPs), with sme 9.3 millin f all Syrians being in dire need f humanitarian help. 3 The U.S. Department f State (U.S. DOS) warns that 2.5 millin peple are in islated lcatins within Syria, including 250,000 reprtedly under siege wh have n access t humanitarian aid. The U.S. DOS als reprts that sme 2.3 millin children within Syria are nt able t attend schl. 4 The Syrian Christian wman quted abve is amng the 2.3 millin Syrian refugees frced t flee their cuntry, with 850,000 seeking refuge in Lebann, 565,000 in Jrdan, 550,000 in Turkey, 200,000 in Iraq, 130,000 in Egypt, 5 and 31,000 in 90 cuntries utside the regin where they have 2 Stephen Kalin, Anti- Assad Mnitring Grup Says Syrian Death Tll Passes 130,433, Reuters, December 31, 2013. http://www.reuters.cm/article/2013/12/31/us- syria- crisis- tll- idusbre9bu0fa20131231. Three weeks befre, the U.S. DOS put the death tll at ver 100,000. Assistant Secretary f State Anne Richard, Testimny befre the State, Freign Operatins and Related Prgrams Subcmmittee f Senate Apprpriatins Cmmittee hearing regarding Assistance fr Jrdan and Lebann, December 10, 2013. 3 Syria Cmplex Emergency Fact Sheet #4, FY 2014, December 5, 2013, available at: http://www.usaid.gv/sites/default/files/dcuments/1866/syria_ce_fs04_12-05- 2013.pdf 4 Assistant Secretary f State Anne Richard, Testimny befre the State, Freign Operatins and Related Prgrams Subcmmittee f Senate Apprpriatins Cmmittee hearing regarding Assistance fr Jrdan and Lebann, December 10, 2013. 5 Syria Cmplex Emergency Fact Sheet #4, FY 2014, December 5, 2013, available at: http://www.usaid.gv/sites/default/files/dcuments/1866/syria_ce_fs04_12-05- 2013.pdf 4
fled and sught asylum. 6 Besides the recent furfld increase f Syrian refugees t neighbring cuntries, thse cuntries already have hsted large refugee ppulatins, including ver 480,000 Iraqis, with 61,000 f them UNHCR registered refugees. 7 There are als vulnerable African refugees in Egypt, including sme 120,000 in Cair, ver 2000 in Sallum Refugee Camp, and trafficked and trtured Eritreans n the Sinai peninsula. 8 Lebann reprts that 30% f its ppulatin is made up f Syrian refugees; 9 and Jrdan reprts 10%. 10 Althugh very high, thse numbers alne d nt capture the challenge fr hst natins and cmmunities. Lebann reprts that its recent 30% ppulatin grwth frm Syrians is equivalent t the natin s prjected grwth and expanded infrastructure needs fr 2050. Or t use a lcal cmmunity example, in Arsal, Lebann, the city f 35,000 has already welcmed 39,000 Syrian refugees, including 20,000 in Nvember 2013 alne. 11 An enrmus additinal humanitarian and refugee prtectin challenge arises because 75% f Syrian refugees in the regin are s- called urban refugees wh reside utside f camps, seeking refuge in widely dispersed lcal cmmunities. 12 In Jrdan, Syrian refugees live in 390 lcatins and in Lebann, in 1650 cmmunities. 13 Sme 75% f the Syrian refugees are wmen and children. Many, especially wmen and girls, face serius prblems with gender- based and sexual vilence in Syria and in the hst cuntries. UNHCR reprts that 1.1 millin f the refugees are children, with 75% f them less than 12 years ld. 14 Sme 60% d nt attend schl, including 80% in Lebann and mre than 50% in Jrdan. 15 UNHCR has s far identified 3760 unaccmpanied refugee minrs (URMs) amng the refugees in Lebann and Jrdan. 16 These are children alne in the wrld whse parents have died r wh have been separated frm their parents. We turn last t the vulnerability f sme Syrian minrity grups. While 75% f peple in Syria 17 and 90% f registered refugees fleeing frm Syria are Sunni Muslims, 18 there are als several 6 Ewen MacLed, UNHCR Representative t Lebann, Written Testimny befre the Senate Apprpriatins Subcmmittee n State, Freign Operatins and Related Prgrams hearing Assistance fr Jrdan and Lebann, December 10, 2013. 7 2013 UNHCR Cuntry Operatins Prfiles Jrdan, Lebann, Turkey, http://www.unhcr.rg/cgi- bin/texis/vtx/ page? page=49e486566& submit=go (Jrdan); http://www.unhcr.rg/cgi- bin/texis/vtx/page?page=49e486676&submit=go (Lebann); http://www.unhcr.rg/cgi- bin/texis/vtx/page?page=49e0fa75&submit=go (Jrdan); http://www.unhcr.rg/cgi- bin/texis/vtx/page?page=49e48e0fa7f&submit=go (Turkey). 8 Fr mre details, see USCCB, Missin t the Middle East: Reprt f the United States Cnference f Cathlic Bishps n Syrian Refugees, Octber 2012, pp. 7-9. 9 Ibid. 10 Hnrable Alia Buran, Jrdanian Ambassadr t the United States, Testimny at Hearing f the State, Freign Operatins and Related Prgrams Subcmmittee n Assistance fr Jrdan and Lebann, December 10, 2013. 11 Assistant Secretary f State Anne Richard, Testimny, December 10, 2013. 12 Jrdan has fur refugee camps: Za atri camp, the Emirati Jrdanian camp, Cyber City, and Azraq, a new camp. Za atri refugee camp huses 120,000 Syrian refugees, making it the furth largest city in Jrdan and the furth largest refugee camp in the wrld. Turkey runs 21 refugee camps mstly in the suth f the cuntry, while Lebann has n frmal camps, althugh there are infrmal camps in areas f large influx, such as Arsal. Egypt has n camps. Urban refugees there live primarily in Cair, Alexandria, and Damietta. USCIRF, Factsheet Syria, July 2013, pp. 3-7 (available at www.uscirf.gv). 13 Hnrable Antine Chedid, Lebanese Ambassadr t the United States, Testimny at Hearing f the State, Freign Operatins and Related Prgrams Subcmmittee n Assistance fr Jrdan and Lebann, December 10, 2013. The 390 lcatins fr Jrdan were n a chart that UNHCR prepared fr the hearing. 14UNHCR, The Future f Syria: Children in Crisis, December 2013, p. 9. 15 Assistant Secretary Anne Richard, Testimny, December 10, 2013. 16 UNHCR, The Future f Syria: Children in Crisis, December 2013, p. 9 (2440 URMs in Lebann, 1320 in Jrdan). 17 USCIRF, Special Reprt Prtecting and Prmting Religius Freedm in Syria, April 2013, p. 1 (available at www.uscirf.gv). 5
minrity grups, including Christians, wh are at risk bth within Syria and in neighbring hst cuntries. Christians make up sme 10% f the Syrian ppulatin, ttaling abut 2.2 millin. 19 These are amng the mst ancient and venerable Christian cmmunities in the wrld that have a histry f peaceful cexistence with their Muslim neighbrs. They lng t remain in Syria. These Syrian Christians reprt fleeing generalized vilence. One Syrian Cathlic leader reprted that sme 50,000 Christians in Hms were bliged t flee in March 2013 when the ppsitin frces tk up psitins in a Christian neighbrhd and the Syrian gvernment bmbed the Christian sectin f the city. 20 Christians als reprt being targeted. The same leader described priests in Syria wh were recently kidnapped fr ransm by ppsitin grups wh thught Christians were wealthy. During USCCB s trip t Lebann, anther Christian described hw ppsitin frces in Syria threatened Christians t leave within 24 hurs r be killed. III. Recmmendatins We cmmend the peples and gvernments f the refugee hst cuntries fr their generus welcme f their Syrian brthers and sisters. We cmmend the dnr cuntries led by the United States, UN agencies led by UNHCR, NGOs, and ther humanitarian actrs. Yet with the escalating brutality f the cnflict in Syria and the thusands f Syrians fleeing every week, an even greater effrt is needed. Mr. Chairman, we have three sets f recmmendatins fr Cngress. A. Pursue peace in Syria and safe access fr humanitarian aid and wrkers. During a public appearance n August 25, 2013, Ppe Francis denunced and called fr an end t the multiplicatin f massacres and atrcius acts in Syria. Later, Ppe Francis urged the internatinal cmmunity t make every effrt t prmte clear prpsals fr peace withut further delay, a peace based n dialgue and negtiatin, fr the gd f the entire Syrian peple. May n effrt be spared in guaranteeing humanitarian assistance t thse wunded by this terrible cnflict, in particular thse frced t flee and the many refugees in nearby cuntries. We lament and are grateful fr the lving sacrifice f thse seeking peace and prviding humanitarian help fr Syria, including 45 humanitarian wrkers wh have been killed, 12 abducted, and 9 gne missing. 21 Mr. Chairman, we urge Cngress t Wrk with ther gvernments t btain a ceasefire, initiate serius peace negtiatins, prvide increased impartial humanitarian assistance and allw safe passage fr this assistance within Syria, especially fr internally displaced peple (IDPs), and encurage effrts t build an inclusive sciety in Syria that prtects the rights f all its citizens, including Christians and ther minrities, and enables them t remain in their hmeland B. Supprt hst cuntries t maintain generus prtectin and humanitarian care fr refugees, especially children. Given the huge influx f refugees, internatinal supprt and special vigilance is needed t maintain brder and migratin enfrcement and asylum plicies that safeguard refugee prtectin and 18 USCIRF, Fact Sheet Syria; Syria s Refugee Crisis and its Implicatins, July 2013, p. 1 (available at www.uscirf.gv). 19USCIRF, Special Reprt: Prtecting and Prmting Religius Freedm in Syria, April 2013, p. 1 (available at www.uscirf.gv). 20 Embattled Syrians hpe Argentine ppe can brker peace, Natinal Cathlic Reprter, March 21, 2013. 21 Ibid. 6
related humanitarian care fr Syrians and als fr Palestinians, Iraqis, and ther refugees. In Lebann, there is a cmmendable plicy that grants Syrian refugees wh arrive with identity papers with ne- year renewable visas, but reprts are disturbing abut the gvernment practice f smetimes subjecting Syrians and thers seeking refuge withut dcuments t deprtatin and arbitrary detentin under pr cnditins. In Jrdan, the recent decisin t prvide Syrians with ne- year instead f six- mnth residency cards is cmmendable (a recmmendatin that we made a year ag). Hwever, the gvernment practice f cnfiscating and keeping Syrians dcuments and the reprted brder practices f restricting refugees entries accrding t a daily quta r natinality limitatin r fr lacking identity dcuments are disturbing. 22 In Turkey, welcming 550,000 Syrian refugees is a huge and generus undertaking, but the reprted 6- week delays are prblematic fr Syrian refugees waiting in dangerus makeshift camps n the Syrian side f the brder fr Turkey s permissin t crss ver. Beynd maintaining prtectin at the brder, there are enrmus plitical and lgistical challenges invlved in prtecting and serving the 75% f Syrians wh are urban refugees. When refugees reside in camps, the internatinal cmmunity generally partners with hst natins t create the camps infrastructure and service delivery system parallel t that f lcal cmmunities, with refugees and cmmunities remaining insulated frm ne anther. With urban refugees, the internatinal cmmunity partners with the hst cuntry and lcal cmmunities t expand lcal infrastructure and services and facilitates face- t- face hspitality, prblem slving, cnflict reslutin, and cllabratin between the lcal cmmunities and refugees. Lack f husing cntinues t be a chrnic issue fr Syrian urban refugees. Sme frtunately still live with hst families r friends. Others wh lived in apartments have already spent dwn what savings they had, and with few jbs, have n mney fr rent. They, as well as new arrivals, are frced t find shelter in abandned r unfinished buildings r t create settlements f makeshift tents prvided by NGOs. In Lebann, lcal plice have smetimes trn dwn such makeshift settlements withut explanatin. During winter, the 1.1 millin refugee children are especially vulnerable t the lack f shelter, and als f fd, water, sanitatin, educatin, and health care. Girls, especially, are at risk f gender- based vilence, and there are reprted incidences f frced marriages. There are als reprted prblems with access t birth registratin fr newbrn refugees in bth Lebann and Jrdan, putting the infants at risk f statelessness. We als learned f many teenagers, ages 13 t 17 years ld, wh have n access t schl and are being pressured r feel cmpelled t return t Syria t fight. Many children als wrk instead f attending schl s that their families can survive. Mr. Chairman, regarding the neighbring cuntries wh hst Syrian refugees, we urge Cngress t Encurage hst cuntries in the regin t maintain brder and migratin enfrcement plicies and practices that enable Syrians and ther refugee grups (such as Palestinians and Iraqis) t safely flee frm Syria and find humane prtectin and care withut imprper rejectin at the brder, deprtatin, r arbitrary detentin in pr cnditins. And Wrk with Jrdan t retrieve and redistribute identificatin papers t Syrians wh had them cnfiscated by Jrdanian fficials and institute alternative prcedures instead f cnfiscating these imprtant dcuments, such as cpying them. 22 Human Rights First has dcumented risks t refugee prtectin in the regin, including Jrdanian brder enfrcement. See Refugees at Risk: The Syrian Refugee Crisis and U.S. Leadership, Human Rights First, Nvember 2013. 7
Prvide mre U.S. supprt and encurage mre internatinal supprt fr refugees in the regin, especially children, fr their basic necessities f life, immediate prtectin, primary and secndary educatin, and systems that lay the grundwrk fr durable slutins; and prvide hst cuntries additinal husing, fd, water, sanitatin, health, educatin, and transprtatin infrastructure t allw them t hst these large numbers f refugees; and Supprt hst cuntries and lcal cmmunities t address the challenges implicit fr urban refugees by creating cmmunity based mechanisms fr cmmunicatin, prblem slving, dispute reslutin, and cllabratin between lcals, refugees, and humanitarian prviders. Prvide access t educatin and psych- scial supprt fr children at risk f being recruited t fight in Syria and fr kids at risk f gender- based and sexual vilence. Prvide alternative financial supprt fr families whse children are nw frced t wrk fr the sake f family survival. Assure prper registratin f all Syrian refugee children brn in the regin. C. Increase U.S. refugee resettlement f the mst vulnerable refugees, including Unaccmpanied Refugee Minrs (URMs), and encurage ther natins t d s. The United States ften demnstrates slidarity with refugees and hst cuntries in far- away crises like Syria s by prviding strategic refugee resettlement fr the mst vulnerable refugees. It is strategic fr the mst vulnerable refugees because remving them frm danger keeps their vulnerable situatin frm becming catastrphic. It is strategic fr hst natins because it ften remves vulnerable peple wh therwise cause a disprprtinate drain n the hst s already strained resurces. It is strategic fr the verall crisis because it shares the burden and spurs ther natins t act either t prvide aid r t agree t d resettlement r anther durable slutin. The U.S. generally resettles as many refugees as all ther resettlement cuntries cmbined. The U.S. Cnference f Cathlic Bishps urges the United States t make strategic use f resettlement fr the mst vulnerable Syrian refugees. UNHCR calls fr 30,000 Syrians t be resettled in 2014. Amng the mst vulnerable are unaccmpanied refugee minrs (URMs) whse parents have died r wh are separated frm their parents. There is a great risk that many ther URMs, as urban refugees, will nt be identified at all and their needs will g unnticed by the verwhelmed hst gvernment and internatinal staff. There is a strng need fr cmmunity- based systems t identify vulnerable refugees, especially unaccmpanied children, t screen them, t prvide prtectin and care, and t prepare fr resettlement r whatever durable slutins is in each child s best interest. URMs shuld receive best interest determinatins (BIDs) and nging case management. Mr. Chairman, I must als call attentin t the plight f religius minrities in Syria, particularly Christians. Amng ther destinatins, Syrian Christians have fled within Syria; thers have fled t Zahle, a city f sme 320,000 nestled in the Bekaa Valley in Lebann; thers t Turkey. Mst Christians d nt undertake refugee registratin because they fear that UNHCR will hand ver their infrmatin t the Syrian gvernment. Acting n fear has a price, since the prtectin and assistance frm hst gvernments, UNHCR, and implementing partners ften depends n a refugee being registered. Nnetheless, Christians express fear, bth f reprisals by the Syrian gvernment fr leaving Syria, and als fear sme sectrs f the ppsitin, such as the radical sects frm utside f Syria wh are nw part f the cnflict. They are truly caught in the middle f the cnflict. 8
Befre turning t recmmendatins, a majr hurdle t U.S. resettlement f Syrians is the set f verly brad U.S. immigratin law prvisins that bar entry t the United States fr being invlved with terrrist activities, s- called TRIG prvisins. The TRIG prvisins have a laudable gal, but they have been written and applied in such an verly brad way that they have delayed r barred admissin f many deserving refugees wh have n cnnectin t terrrism. If a cuntry has an armed, nngvernmental ppsitin grup fighting against the gvernment, that grup is deemed t be invlved in terrrist activities. It des nt matter if the ppsitin includes nble freedm fighters supprted by the U.S. gvernment t fight against a brutal regime that the U.S. cndemns. If smene is a member, slicits funds r prvides material supprt fr the armed ppsitin grup, r has a parent r spuse s invlved, that persn is barred frm entering the United States. It des nt matter if the persn never vilated any rules f war r criminal laws r has a nnmilitary rle such as prviding humanitarian assistance r healthcare. It des nt matter that the persn pses n danger r threat t ur cuntry. In Syria s refugee crisis, there are armed ppsitin grups fighting against a gvernment that the UN has cndemned fr cmmitting crimes against humanity. The ppsitin grups include sme wh received nnmilitary aid frm the U.S. gvernment. Because f these and ther aspects f the Syrian crisis, the verly brad and unfair applicatin f the TRIG prvisins pses a serius impediment fr the resettlement f Syrians unless the Administratin uses its exemptin pwers. Mr. Chairman, t facilitate increased resettlement, especially fr URMs, we urge Cngress t Meaningfully increase U.S. resettlement, thrugh an emergency rder, t at least 15,000 Syrians fr FY2014 and urge all ther resettlement natins t increase resettlement f the mst vulnerable refugees t 15,000, including unaccmpanied refugee minrs (URMs), wmen with children, minrity grups, thse with serius health cncerns, the elderly and thse in immediate danger, thereby prtecting them and sharing the hst cuntries burden. Increasing the nngvernmental and cmmunity capacity t identify and screen the mst vulnerable urban refugees, including URMs, t meet their immediate prtectin and humanitarian needs, and t prepare fr their durable slutins; Increasing UNHCR s capacity fr refugee status determinatin, resettlement, and BIDs; and fr U.S. Resettlement Supprt Centers refugee and URM prcessing capacity; Facilitating Best Interest Determinatins (BIDs) fr the 3760 unaccmpanied refugee minrs identified in Jrdan and Lebann and fr all URMs identified in the regin, and use BIDs t pursue their shrt- term prtectin and durable slutins; Develping cmmunity- based mechanisms t identify, prtect and serve Christian and ther minrity grup refugees wh d nt register because they fear reprisals; Increasing DHS capacity t d circuit rides t the regin t interview Syrian and ther refugees fr ptential resettlement; Allwing Syrians with nncurrent visa petitins t receive refugee interviews (this was ne f the successful strategies t increase Iraqi resettlement). Encuraging DHS, ther security screening agencies, and the White Huse t allcate sufficient staff and t wrk cllabratively t increase the number f security checks that can be expedited thereby speeding up the prcess fr refugees facing significant risks. Increase U.S. resettlement and urge ther natins t increase resettlement f ther vulnerable refugees in the regin, thereby sharing the burden with hst cuntries. 9
Urge neighbring cuntries t receive Iraqi refugees frm Syria and cntinue expediting the resettlement cases f Iraqis referred fr U.S. cnsideratin. Wrk with Egypt t halt trafficking and trture f Eritrean refugees in the Sinai. Cnsider fr resettlement the vulnerable African refugees in Cair wh are unable t integrate and remain at risk f harassment and attack, and the African refugees in Sallum Refugee Camp wh were displaced frm Libya and nw cannt return either t Libya r their hme cuntries, and ther African refugees in the regin. Urge DHS, in cnsultatin with DOS and DOJ, t practively and expeditiusly remve unjust impediments t U.S. resettlement by implementing discretinary authrity t grant exemptins frm TRIG prvisins f U.S. immigratin law and by judiciusly interpreting the meaning f the material supprt bar. Allw case- by- case exemptins t be issued fr applicants (such as humanitarian and healthcare wrkers) wh prvided nnvilent assistance t an armed ppsitin grup, wh have passed all required security and backgrund checks, wh meet the refugee definitin, wh are nt therwise barred, and wh did nt knwingly supprt activities that targeted nncmbatants r U.S. interests (by statute, such exemptins are nt available t anyne wh participated in r prvided material supprt t a grup designated r listed as a terrrist rganizatin by the U.S. gvernment). Allw case- by- case exemptins t be granted t frmer cmbatants wh therwise meet the refugee definitin, wh are nt subject t any ther bars, wh have passed all applicable security and backgrund checks, wh establish that they pse n threat t the safety r security f the United States, and wh either (1) were children at the time r (2) did nt participate in, r knwingly prvide material supprt t, activities that targeted nncmbatants r U.S. interests. Cmplete a lng- pending review f its legal interpretatin f the term material supprt. The applicatin f the material supprt bar t minimal dnatins and t rutine cmmercial transactins with members f armed grups greatly inflates the number f cases unjustly affected by this law. Cnclusin Thank yu fr the pprtunity t share ur bservatins and recmmendatins. Mr. Chairman, as UNHCR High Cmmissiner Antni Guttieres has stated, the Syrian humanitarian crisis is amng the wrst refugee crises n recrd. Millins f inncent persns have been impacted by this cnflict, which seems t have n end in sight. The internatinal cmmunity can n lnger stand by and witness this nging death and suffering. I urge yu t adpt ur recmmendatins. The U.S. Cathlic bishps and ur affiliated agencies stand ready t assist yu in this effrt. I clse with Ppe Francis recent reflectin t Cathlic aid grups assisting with the nging Syrian refugee crisis. He bserved that Christians are called t help the peple f Syria because where there is suffering, Christ is present. We cannt turn ur back n situatins f great suffering. The weapns must be silenced. 10