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NO. 179
an increased admissions ceiling for Eastern Europe and
the Soviet Union;
expanded refugee admissions from Latin America and the
Caribbean;
an increased ceiling for Africa to accommodate African
refugees located far from processing posts in Africa, and
those who have been stranded in Europe for several years;
an increased admissions ceiling for the Near East and
South Asia to allow for admissions of those fleeing
religious persecution and Soviet occupation;
and an unallocated reserve, intended to give the
Administration the flexibility to respond to critical
admissions needs that are unpredictable.
As a preamble to a discussion and justification of the
proposed refugee ceiling, I would like to reflect on what we
have accomplished in our refugee programs in recent years, and
the way in which we have been able to achieve these objectives.
Mr. Chairman, the beginning of fiscal year 1981 marks a
suitable starting point for such a review. It coincided with
the election of President Reagan, and it followed by only a
short interval the major refugee shocks of the previous