ExecutiveOrdersEO
DetDeterminationG.W. Bush · R Quiet signal

Presidential Determination

Presidential Determination on FY 2006 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

President Bush authorized up to 70,000 refugee admissions for FY 2006 with specific regional allocations, designated in-country refugee processing for Vietnam, Cuba, and the former Soviet Union, and determined that overseas refugee assistance serves U.S. foreign policy interests. The Secretary of State received authority to reallocate unused numbers between regions and use a 10,000-person unallocated reserve with congressional notification.

Federal Register Open PDF 70 FR 65825

Impact dates

  1. FY 2006 refugee admissions program ends

  2. Secretary of State to report determination to Congress immediately

Key directives

  • Set FY 2006 refugee admissions ceiling at 70,000
  • Allocate refugees across six regional categories including 10,000 unallocated reserve
  • Authorize Secretary of State to use unallocated numbers with notification to Judiciary Committees
  • Authorize Secretary of State to transfer unused regional numbers to other regions with congressional notification
  • Designate overseas refugee assistance as serving foreign policy interests under Migration and Refugee Assistance Act
  • Authorize in-country refugee processing for Vietnam, Cuba, former Soviet Union, and exceptional embassy-identified cases
  • Direct Secretary of State to report to Congress and publish in Federal Register

Who is ordered

Timeline

Immediate

  • Determination effective upon signing for FY 2006 (Oct 1, 2005 - Sept 30, 2006)
  • Secretary of State directed to report to Congress and publish in Federal Register

Near term (90d)

  • Refugee admissions begin under new ceilings
  • Potential initial regional reallocations from unallocated reserve

Long term

  • FY 2006 refugee admissions program operates through September 30, 2006

Risks & tensions

  • Regional allocations may not match actual refugee flows, requiring politically sensitive congressional notifications for reallocation
  • In-country refugee designations for Cuba and Vietnam carry Cold War-era foreign policy sensitivities
  • Unallocated reserve provides flexibility but may create inter-regional competition for slots
Presidential Determination: Presidential Determination on FY 2006 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 · Executive Orders