Memorandum on Refugee Immigration

Presidential Determination No. 97-37

Memorandum for the Secretary of State

Subject: Presidential Determination on FY 1998 Refugee Admissions Numbers and Authorizations of In-Country Refugee Status Pursuant to Sections 207 and 101(a)(42), Respectively, of the Immigration and Nationality Act, and Determination Pursuant to Section 2(b)(2) of the Migration and Refugee Assistance Act, as Amended

In accordance with section 207 of the Immigration and Nationality Act ("the Act") (8 U.S.C. 1157), as amended, and after appropriate consultation with the Congress, I hereby make the following determinations and authorize the following actions:

The admission of up to 83,000 refugees to the United States during FY 1998 is justified by humanitarian concerns or is otherwise in the national interest; provided, however, that this number shall be understood as including persons admitted to the United States during FY 1998 with Federal refugee resettlement assistance under the Amerasian immigrant admissions program, as provided below.

The 83,000 funded admissions shall be allocated among refugees of special humanitarian concern to the United States in accordance with the following regional allocations; provided, however, that the number allocated to the East Asia region shall include persons admitted to the United States during FY 1998 with Federal refugee resettlement assistance under section 584 of the Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related Programs Appropriations Act of 1988, as contained in section 101(e) of Public Law 100-202 (Amerasian immigrants and their family members); provided further that the number allocated to the former Soviet Union shall include persons admitted who were nationals of the former Soviet Union, or in the case of persons having no nationality, who were habitual residents of the former Soviet Union, prior to September 2, 1991:

Africa 7,000
East Asia 14,000
Europe 51,000
Latin America/Caribbean 4,000
Near East/South Asia 4,000
Unallocated 3,000

Within the Europe ceiling are 5,000 unfunded reserve numbers allocated to the former Soviet Union for use as needed provided that resources within existing appropriations are available to fund the cost of their admission. The 3,000 unfunded unallocated numbers shall be allocated as needed if resources within existing appropriations are available to fund the cost of their admission. Unused admissions numbers allocated to a particular region within the 75,000 federally funded ceiling may be transferred to one or more other regions if there is an overriding need for greater numbers for the region or regions to which the numbers are being transferred. You are hereby authorized and directed to consult with the Judiciary Committees of the Congress prior to any such use of the unallocated numbers or reallocation of numbers from one region to another.

Pursuant to section 2(b)(2) of the Migration and Refugee Assistance Act of 1962, as amended, 22 U.S.C. 2601(b)(2), I hereby determine that assistance to or on behalf of persons applying for admission to the United States as part of the overseas refugee admissions program will contribute to the foreign policy interests of the United States and designate such persons for this purpose.

An additional 10,000 refugee admissions numbers shall be made available during FY 1998 for the adjustment to permanent resident status under section 209(b) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1159(b)) of aliens who have been granted asylum in the United States under section 208 of the Act (8 U.S.C. 1158), as this is justified by humanitarian concerns or is otherwise in the national interest.

In accordance with section 101(a)(42)(B) of the Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(42)) and after appropriate consultation with the Congress, I also specify that, for FY 1998, the following persons may, if otherwise qualified, be considered refugees for the purpose of admission to the United States within their countries of nationality or habitual residence:

a. Persons in Vietnam b. Persons in Cuba c. Persons in the former Soviet Union

You are authorized and directed to report this determination to the Congress immediately and to publish it in the Federal Register.

William J. Clinton

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