Memorandum on Fiscal Year 1987 Refugee Ceilings

Presidential Determination No. 87-1

Memorandum for the Honorable Jonathan Moore, United States Coordinator for Refugee Affairs

In accordance with the relevant statutes and after appropriate consultations with the Congress, I have determined that:

— The admission of up to 70,000 refugees to the United States during FY 1987 is justified by humanitarian concerns or is otherwise in the national interest.

— The 70,000 worldwide admissions ceiling shall be allocated among the regions of the world as follows: 32,000 for first asylum from East Asia and 8,500 for the East Asian Orderly Departure Program; 10,000 for Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union; 8,000 for the Near East and South Asia; 3,500 for Africa; and 4,000 for Latin America and the Caribbean. An additional 4,000 numbers shall be held as an unallocated reserve for contingent refugee admissions needs.

— The Congress shall be notified in advance if there is a need to use numbers from the unallocated reserve. The admission of refugees using numbers from this reserve shall be contingent upon the availability of private sector funding sufficient to cover the essential and reasonable costs of such admissions.

— An additional 5,000 refugee admissions numbers shall be made available for the adjustment to permanent resident status of aliens who have been granted asylum in the United States, as this is justified by humanitarian concerns or is otherwise in the national interest.

In accordance with provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act and after appropriate consultations with the Congress, I specify that special circumstances exist such that, for the purposes of admission under the limits established above, the following persons, if they otherwise qualify for admission, may be considered refugees of special humanitarian concern to the United States even though they are still within their countries of nationality or habitual residence.

— Persons in Vietnam with past or present ties to the United States, including Amerasian children; and

— Present and former political prisoners, and persons in imminent danger of loss of life, and their family members, in countries of Latin America and the Caribbean.

This determination shall be transmitted to the Congress immediately and shall be published in the Federal Register.

RONALD REAGAN

THE WHITE HOUSE,

Washington, October 17, 1986.

cc: The Secretary of State
The Attorney General
The Secretary of Health and Human Services