WHEREAS, World Refugee Day Day, June 20, 2017, 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, Nearly 4,800,000 refugees have fled Syria since Since the start of the Syrian conflict conflict, nearly 4,800,000 refugees have fled Syria and more than 6,600,000 people are 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 within Ukraine with 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 and at 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 DIvoire, 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 positioning position of California and contributed to advancing the state as the sixth 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:

(a)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.

(b)Calls upon the federal government to do all of the following:

(1)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.

(2)Find political solutions to existing conflicts and prevent new conflicts from beginning.

(c)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.

(d)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; and be it further worldwide.

Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmits 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.

WHEREAS, World Refugee Day is a global day to honor the courage, strength, and determination of 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, Nearly 4,800,000 refugees have fled Syria since the start of the Syrian conflict and more than 6,600,000 people are 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 are displaced within Ukraine with approximately 800,000 Ukrainians 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 and 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 & Herzegovina, Burma, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, China, Columbia, Congo, Cote DIvoire, 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 positioning of California and contributed to advancing the state as the sixth 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:

(a)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.

(b)Calls upon the federal government to do all of the following:

(1)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.

(2)Find political solutions to existing conflicts and prevent new conflicts from beginning.

(c)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.

(d)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; and be it further

Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmits 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.

Date of Hearing: June 19, 2017

ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON

, Chair

ABPCA Bill Id:

Author:() – As Amended Ver:

SUBJECT:

SUMMARY: Recognizes June 20, 2017, as World Refugee Day to honor the courage, strength, and determination of the women, men, and children who are displaced from their homes. Specifically, this resolution makes the following legislative findings:

1. 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.
2. Children account for 51 percent of the refugee population in the world, millions of whom are unable to access basic services including education.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. Since 1975, the United States has welcomed more than 3,000,000 refugees who have resettled in communities across the country. 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.
6. 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. These well-established refugee communities have significantly strengthened the worldwide economic position of California and contributed to advancing the state as the sixth largest economy on earth.

FISCAL EFFECT: None

REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION:

Support

None on file

Opposition

None on file

Analysis Prepared by: