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He said because of continuing political turmoil in a number of Latin American countries, the administration was proposing an increase of 4,000 in the ceiling for refugees from the region

Senator Edward Kennedy asked Shultz about reports that he is planning to visit South Africa.

"I haven't made any announcement of any trip, but I have been considering a Trip to Africa for some time, and I would like to do that, the secretary said. "I've been working with various countries to see if that could be worked out and I would certainly want to include South Africa in that itinerary."

(On September 15, State Department spokesman Kalb told reporters that the full details of Shultz's proposed trip to Africa have not yet been finalized, "but I expect he will travel there later this fall. He would hope to visit a range of key countries in various parts of the continent. 11 Kalb added that Shultz "has been anxious to visit Africa for a long time. We have important interests and active diplomacy throughout that continent.")

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STORY: EU2060916

SLEU2060916 BT*EUR206 09/16/86

DATE: 09/16/86

SHULTZ SAYS REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT NEEDS TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT (Text: Remarks to Senate subcommittee) (5050)

Washington

Secretary of State Shultz says the Reagan administration's proposed admissions ceiling of 70,000 refugees during fiscal year 1987 takes into account "the resettlement needs of refugees of special humanitarian concern to us."

Shultz told the Senate Judiciary subcommittee on immigration and refugee policy September 16 that the admissions proposal reaffirms Reagan's initiatives on Amerasians and Vietnamese political prisoners and maintains continued high processing levels from the refugee camps in the Southeast Asian first-asylum countries.

The figure also includes increased admission ceilings for refugees from Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union, Latin America and the Caribbean, Africa and the Near East and South Asia, Shultz said. He said that during the six years of the Reagan administration, total expenditures for refugee aid administered by the State Department have exceeded 2,500 million dollars. "There can be no doubt that America has done its share and more to aid those refugees who have been forced to leave their homelands because of persecution, the secretary said.

Following is the text of Shultz s prepared remarks to the Senate subcommittee:

(begin text)

Mr. Chairman and distinguished members of the committee, thank you for the invitation and the honor to consult with you on the president's proposed refugee admissions ceiling for fiscal year 1987.

This is the third consecutive year that I have participated in these consultations. These sessions were envisaged by the Congress in the Refugee Act of 1980, which specified that our refugee admissions are intended for refugees of "special humanitarian concern to the United States in accordance with a determination made by the president after appropriate consultation with the Congress."

taking into

Mr. Chairman, after thoughtful consideration account the resettlement needs of refugees of special humanitarian concern to us The president proposes an overall admissions ceiling of 70,000 refugees, with 66,000 to be included in funded regional ceilings and 4,000 to be contained in an unfunded reserve, unallocaled by any region. This year's admissions proposal includes:

reaffirmation of the president's initiatives on Amerasians and Vietnamese political prisoners;

an admissions level to maintain continued high processing levels from the refugee camps in the Southeast Asian first asylum countries;

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