WHEREAS, World Refugee Day, June 20, 2018, is a global day to honor the courage, strength, and determination of the women, men, and children who are forced to flee their homes under the threats of conflict, violence, and persecution; and
WHEREAS, There are nearly 65,300,000 displaced people worldwide, the highest levels ever recorded, including almost 21,300,000 refugees, 40,800,000 internally displaced people, and 3,200,000 people seeking asylum; and
WHEREAS, Children account for 51 percent of the refugee population in the world, millions of whom are unable to access basic services including education; and
WHEREAS, Since the start of the Syrian conflict, nearly 4,800,000 refugees have fled Syria and more than 6,600,000 people have become internally displaced; and
WHEREAS, Since January 2014, more than 3,300,000 Iraqis fleeing violence have been internally displaced, and 277,000 refugees have fled to neighboring countries; and
WHEREAS, Approximately 1,325,000 people within Ukraine are displaced and approximately 800,000 Ukrainians are seeking protection in other countries as a result of a worsening humanitarian situation in areas not controlled by the government; and
WHEREAS, Since April 2015, sporadic outbursts of violence in Burundi have prompted more than 265,000 Burundians to flee to the neighboring countries of Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo; and
WHEREAS, Violent insurgent attacks in Nigeria have forced 167,000 people to flee to the neighboring countries of Cameroon, Chad, and Niger, and have internally displaced nearly 1,500,000 people; and
WHEREAS, More than 95,000 women, men, and children, including many persecuted Rohingya refugees from Burma, have departed on smugglers’ boats from the Bay of Bengal since 2014, more than 1,000 of whom have died at sea; and
WHEREAS, As of June 2015, more than 100,000 refugees and migrants have crossed the Mediterranean Sea from North Africa. At least 1,800 women, men, and children have died during such crossings or are missing; and
WHEREAS, Nearly 6,000,000 Colombians are internally displaced; and
WHEREAS, Nearly 700,000 South Sudanese are refugees in neighboring countries; and
WHEREAS, More than 465,000 people from the Central African Republic are refugees; and
WHEREAS, Refugees who are women and girls are often at a greater risk of sexual violence and exploitation, forced or early marriage, human trafficking, and other forms of gender-based violence; and
WHEREAS, The United States provides critical resources and support to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and other international and nongovernmental organizations working with refugees around the world; and
WHEREAS, Since 1975, the United States has welcomed more than 3,000,000 refugees who have resettled in communities across the country; and
WHEREAS, Since the enactment of the United States Refugee Act of 1980, the State of California has greatly benefited from being a national leader in welcoming refugees from all faiths and regions of the world; and
WHEREAS, From October 2015 to September 2016, 7,900 refugees have settled in California, most of them residing in the Counties of Los Angeles, Sacramento, and San Diego; and
WHEREAS, California maintains a proud history of diversity and inclusion by resettling refugees from countries around the world, including: Afghanistan, Algeria, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Belarus, Bhutan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Burma, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, China, Columbia, Congo, Cote D’Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Czech Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Gambia, Georgia, Haiti, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Liberia, Lithuania, Malaysia, Mauritania, Moldova, Morocco, Nepal, Nigeria, North Korea, Pakistan, Palestine, Panama, Paraguay, Philippines, Poland, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Serbia, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, former Soviet Union, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tunisia,
Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Yemen, and Zimbabwe; and
WHEREAS, The well-established refugee communities in the State of California have significantly strengthened the worldwide economic position of California and contributed to advancing the state as the sixth fifth largest economy on earth; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, That the Assembly does all of the following:
(1) Reaffirms the bipartisan commitment of the United States to promote the safety, health, and well-being of the millions of refugees and displaced persons who flee war, persecution, and torture in search of peace, hope, and freedom in the state.
(2) Calls upon the federal government to do both of the following:
(A) Continue its international leadership role in response to those who have been displaced, including the most vulnerable populations who endure sexual violence, human trafficking, forced conscription, genocide, and exploitation.
(B) Find political solutions to existing conflicts and prevent new conflicts from beginning.
(3) Commends those who have risked their lives working individually and for the countless nongovernmental organizations and international agencies, such as the UNHCR, that have provided life-saving assistance and helped protect those displaced by conflict around the world.
(4) Iterates the strong bipartisan commitment of the United States and the State of California to protect and assist millions of refugees and other forcibly uprooted persons worldwide.
(5) Declares June 20, 2018, as World Refugee Day; and be it further
Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of this resolution to each Senator and Representative from California in the Congress of the United States and to the author for appropriate distribution.
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REVISIONS:
Heading—Line 2.
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