1

TalkingPoints:TheSyrianRefugeeCrisisTheSyrianrefugeecrisis

• TherearemorethanfourmillionregisteredSyrianrefugees—anumberthatisexpectedtoriseto4.2millionbytheendof2015.Morethanthreemillionoftheserefugeesarewomenandchildren.

• AsofApril2015,750,000(57%)ofSyrianrefugeechildrenareoutofschoolduetotheconflict.

• Inadditiontothenumberofrefugees,atleast7.6millionpeoplehavebeendisplacedwithinSyria.Withoutassistance,internallydisplacedpeopleoftenbecomerefugees.Ethnicandreligiousminoritiesareespeciallyatrisk.

• ItisillegalinJordan,Egypt,andmosthostcountriesintheregionforrefugeestowork.Educationalopportunitiesaregreatlylimited.Whilesomechildrenareabletotakepartininformaleducationandprimaryschoolprograms,therearefewopportunitiesforrefugeeyouthtoattendsecondaryorhighereducation.

Responsibilityforprotectingrefugees

• Refugeesneedsafety,andEuropemorethaneverneedstostepupandcoordinatethereceptionandregistrationofarrivingrefugeestoensurethatsecurityconcernsandneedsforprotectionarebeingmetsimultaneously.

• Inparallel,theUnitedStatesmustdoitsshare,evenintheaftermathoftheParisattacks.

• Withoutacomprehensivecollaborativeresponsewithburden-sharingagreementsinplace,EuropewillnotbesafefromISISthreatsofinfiltration.

Themoralandhumanrightsstand

• TheUnitedStatesshoulddemonstratemoralcourage.TheutterdisregardforhumanlifeshouldprovideourleaderswithevenmoreimpetustohelptheSyrianpeoplefleeingandsoinneedofinternationalprotection.Thedefinitionofmoralcourageistoresistallowingfeartooverwhelmourhumanity.

• Wemustspeakouttostoptherisingwavesofanti-Muslimandanti–SyrianrefugeesentimentsoccurringintheUnitedStatesandglobally.

• Fomentingorexploitinganti-refugeeandanti-Muslimsentimentisnotthewaytocombatterrorism.

2

Terrorism

• Refugeesarenotterrorists.WemustrecognizethatrefugeesfromSyria,Yemen,andelsewhereintheMiddleEasthavebeenattemptingtoescapeextremistviolence.Theyarenottheparticipantsandperpetrators.

• Rejectingrefugeeswillmakeuslesssafe.Ignoringtheplightofrefugees,whocanbepotentialallies,anddenyingthemsafehavenwilldrivethembacktoSyria.TheretheywillfacethedangerousregimeofBasharal-Assadthattheyfledinthefirstplace.Somerefugees,inadesperatesearchforanysafety,willseekoutISISasanallyagainstAssad.

• TheParisattacksareanexampleofdailyterroristviolencethatalsohappenselsewhere.TheterrorismandviolencethatoccurredinParisisanexampleofthekindofviolencebeinginflicteddailyoninnocentcitizensinSyria,Yemen,andotherMiddleEastcountries.

• Traditionallawenforcementandsecurityscreeningprocesseshaveaprovenrecordofhandlingthethreatfromterroristposingasrefugees.InthewakeoftheParisattacks,U.S.agenciessaidtheywilldeepenandtightentheirrefugeeinvestigationsevenfurther.

• TheSyriancivilwarandthebarbarismofISIShavekilledmoreMuslimsthanmembersofanyotherfaith.

Haltinganti-Muslimandanti-refugeesentiment

• PresidentObamaisleadingthecall(uusc.org/nytimesarticle)tostopdestructiveanti-Muslimandanti–Syrianrefugeerallycries.

• Staytruetoourvalues.Whentestedbyaterrorattack,wemuststaytruetoourcorevalues:freedom,equality,andtherighttopursuehappiness.Wecannotallowourselvestosuccumbtotheattackersbyabandoningourprinciples.

• Nowisnotthetimetoabandonourcivilliberties.It'sthetimetoreaffirmthem.AsU.S.residents,weshouldreaffirmthefreedomofallpeopletoworshipanyreligion,toassemble,tospeakfreely,andtonotbeafraid.Wecannotallowtheseattackerstoprovokearesponsethattakesawaywhatwemostholddear.Weallhavetherighttoholdconversationsintheprivacyofourhomeswithoutthegovernmentlisteninginonconversations.

• Wemustsupportanddefendtherightsofallpeople,evenaswegrieveforParis.HatecrimesandthreatsagainstMuslim,Arab,andSouthAsianAmericansarealreadyatthehighesttheyhavebeensince9/11.

• Wehavearesponsibilitytospeakupandchallengerhetoricthatsinglesothersoutbasedsolelyontheirreligionorheritage;tostandupfortherights

3

ofMuslim,Arab,andSouthAsianAmericanswhentheycomeunderattack;andtorejectthosewhoseektoexploitthistragedyforpoliticalgain.

• Thereisatemptation,whenstruckbyterrororbygrief,tolashoutatanyonepresumedtobeanenemy.ButrefugeesseekingtoescapefromterribleviolenceshouldnotbeblamedfortheactionsofthemurderersinParisandourMuslimAmericanneighborsshouldnotbesubjecttoprejudiceandviolence.

UUSC'sresponse

• UUSCisaddressingcriticalneedsduringtheSyrianrefugeecrisis(uusc.org/refugeeresponse),workingwithpartnersthroughoutEuropeandtheMiddleEasttosupportrefugeesanddelivermuch-neededassistance.

• ThebestchanceforpreventingdevastatingactsofterrorlikethosethattookplaceinParisistoactdecisivelyandcooperativelyaspartofacommunityofnationswithintheframeworkofinternationallawtorootoutterrorismandworkforjusticeathomeandabroad.

• AsUUSCjoinedtheworldinmourningtheParistragedyanddecryingtheheinousviolence,itquicklycalledontheUnitedStatesnottolessenorhaltitsresettlementofSyrianrefugees.UUSCanditssupportersareadvocatingstronglyagainstcongresspeopleandgovernorsstatingtheirintentionstoclosedoorstoSyrianrefugees.

Refugeeresettlement

• TheUnitedNationsHighCommissionerforRefugees(UNHCR)hasmadeanappealforresettlementof130,000Syrianrefugeesworldwidein2014–2016.

• TheUnitedStateshastraditionallyacceptedatleasthalfofallUNHCRreferralsforanygivenpopulation.Inordertoupholdthistradition,theUnitedStatesshouldresettleatleast65,000Syrianrefugeesbytheendof2016.

• AsofJune2015,UNHCRhassubmitted13,586refugeestotheUnitedStatesforresettlementconsideration.Thatdoesnotmeantheyhavebeenaccepted,processedbytheUnitedStates,andresettledinU.S.communities

• Sofarin2015,theUnitedStateshasresettled909Syrianrefugees,withacumulativetotalofonly1,114sincethebeginningoftheconflictinSyria.Thisincludes236women,461childrenundertheageof14,and138youthbetweentheagesof14and20.

• SeveralEuropeancountrieshaveacceptedfarmoreSyrianrefugeesthantheUnitedStates.Mostnotably,Germanyhascommittedtoaccepting

4

35,000refugeesthroughacombinedprogramofhumanitarianadmissionandindividualsponsorship,inadditiontoSyrianasylumseekers.Inproportiontoeachcountry’spopulation,thiswouldbeakintotheUnitedStatesacceptingmorethan138,000Syrianrefugees.

• LegalrefugeeswithintheUnitedStatescanbecomeandareurgedtoquicklybecomeself-sufficientcontributorstotheU.S.societyandeconomy—asworking,taxpayingcitizens—andtolearnEnglishandattendschool.

U.S.refugeeresettlementauthorityandprocess

• U.S.refugeeresettlementisundertheauthorityoftheU.S.DepartmentofStateandcoordinatedbetweentheU.S.DepartmentofHealthandHumanServices'OfficeofRefugeeResettlement(ORR),theU.S.DepartmentofHomelandSecurity,andtheAdministrationforChildrenandFamilies.

• RefugeeswhoentertheUnitedStatesthroughitsRefugeeResettlementProgram(USRP)mustfirstbereferredbyUNHCRorbytheU.S.embassyinthecountryofasylum.Afamilyisusuallyreferredtogetherasasinglegroup.

• TheU.S.DepartmentofState'sBureauforPopulation,Refugees,andMigration(PRM)overseestheU.S.resettlementprogram.TheStateDepartmentdevelopsapplicationcriteriaandrefugeeadmissionceilings,anditpresentseligiblecasestoadivisionoftheDepartmentofHomelandSecurity(DHS),theU.S.CitizenshipandImmigrationServices(USCIS),foradjudication.

• RefugeeswhomeettheUSRPcriteriaforapplicationareinterviewedbyaUSCISofficerwhotravelstothecountryofasyluminwhichtherefugeesareresiding.TheU.S.DepartmentofStatethencontractsresettlementand/ornongovernmentalorganizationstoassistrefugeeswhomayneedhelppreparingtheirextensiveresettlementapplicationforms.TheUSCISofficerdecideswhethertheapplicantisarefugeeasdefinedunderU.S.law.

• InthisrigorousU.S.procedure,anindividual'sdesignationasarefugeebyUNHCRdoesnotguaranteeadmissiontotheU.S.refugeeprogram.

• RefugeeswhoseapplicationsforU.S.resettlementreceiveUSCISapprovalarematchedwithaU.S.resettlementorganizationthatwillfacilitatetheirresettlementtotheUnitedStates.

U.S.statesandrefugeeresettlement

• Statescannotpreventresettlementofrefugeesintheirstatesorpreventrefugeemigrationfromonestatetoanother.Thelegalauthoritytodetermine

5

groupandindividualrefugeeresettlementandlocationsforrefugeeswithintheUnitedStatesisunderfederaljurisdictionanddoesnotresidewiththestates,northeirgovernorsorlegislativebodies.

• States,however,mayexpresstheirwishnottoacceptcertainrefugeegroups.WhentheUnitedStatesisarrangingwithinternationalbodiessuchasUNHCRtoacceptrefugeegroupsfromcertaincountries,statesmayvoicetheirconcernsandrequests.

• Insomeinstances,theninevoluntaryU.S.agencieswhoresettlerefugeesandtherespectivelocalrefugeeresettlementaffiliatesorofficestheyworkwith—andundercertaincircumstancestheU.S.entitiesjointlycollaboratinginselectingcommunitiesforparticularrefugeegroups—maypursuethestates'concerns,andtherefugeeswillbereassignedtoother,morewelcomingcommunitiesintheUnitedStates.

PreventionofterrorisminU.S.refugeeresettlement

• U.S.refugeesdon’tbecometerrorists.ThehistoryoftheU.S.refugeeprogramdemonstratesthatthelengthyandextensivevettingthatallrefugeesmustundergoisaneffectivedeterrentforterrorists.

• Since1980,theUnitedStateshasinvitedinmillionsofrefugees,includinghundredsofthousandsfromtheMiddleEast.NotonehascommittedanactofterrorismwithintheUnitedStates.

• RefugeestatusisthesinglemostdifficultwaytocometotheUnitedStates.Itisnotafasttrackwaytoenter.Itmakesnosenseforaterroristtotrytousetheresettlementprocessforanattack.Processingtimesforrefugeeresettlementaverage18–24monthsandcantakeaslongasthreetofouryears,dependingonsecurityconcerns.

• TobecomearefugeeintheUnitedStatesrequiresamulti-stagevettingprocess—andonlyafterreceivingU.N.designationbytrainedofficersinthefield.TheU.S.screensrefugeespriortoadmissioninthiscountry,whichmeansterroristsandthosemostlikelytobecomeinvolvedinterrorismcanbeweededout,acceptingonlythemostvulnerable.

• AllrefugeesundergothoroughandrigoroussecurityscreeningspriortoarrivingintheUnitedStates.Thoseincludemultiplebiographicandidentityinvestigations;FBIbiometricchecksfingerprintsandphotographs;in-depth,in-personinterviewsbyspecializedandwell-trainedDepartmentofHomelandSecurityofficers;medicalscreenings;andotherchecksbyU.S.domesticandinternationalintelligenceagencies,includingtheNationalCounterterrorismCenter.

• Ifthefactspresentedinthesescreeningsareproblematic,refugeesarereferredforadditionalsecurityclearanceprocedures.Onlyafterallthesesecurityandmedicalcheckshavebeenreceivedandanalyzedcanarefugee

6

beadmittedtotheUnitedStates,thereforesomeindividualsmaybe“onhold”indefinitely.

• MandatorysupervisoryreviewsareinplacetomaintainthesecurityoftheU.S.refugeeresettlementprogram.Thosereviewsincludealldecisions,randomcaseassignment,interagencynationalsecurityteams,traineddocumentexperts,forensictestingofdocuments,andinterpretermonitoring.

• OthermigrationchannelsareeasiertoexploitthantheU.S.refugeeprocess.Inotherwords:non-refugeeshavecarriedoutallterroristattacksoverthepast35years.ThatmeanstheyusedothermeanstoarriveintheUnitedStates.Allofthe9/11hijackersusedstudentortouristvisas.Thesevisasaremucheasierandfastertoobtainthanrefugeestatus.

QuotesfromPresidentBarackObama

• “ThepeoplewhoarefleeingSyriaarethemostharmedbyterrorism;theyarethemostvulnerableasaconsequenceofcivilwarandstrife,”Mr.Obamasaid.Headded:“Wedonotcloseourheartstothesevictimsofsuchviolenceandsomehowstartequatingtheissueofrefugeeswiththeissueofterrorism.”

• Withoutnaminghim,Mr.ObamasingledoutacommentbyformerGov.JebBushofFlorida,oneoftheRepublicansseekingtosucceedhim,forsuggestingtheUnitedStatesfocusspecialattentiononChristianrefugees.“That’sshameful,”Mr.Obamasaid.“That’snotAmerican.It’snotwhoweare.Wedon’thavereligiousteststoourcompassion.”

UUSCthanksitsfellowrefugeeresettlementandhumanrightspartnersandcoalitionmembersfortheircontributionstothesetalkingpoints.