ExecutiveOrdersEO
DetDeterminationG.W. Bush · R Quiet signal

Presidential Determination

Presidential Determination on FY 2005 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 set the FY 2005 refugee admissions ceiling at 70,000 with regional allocations and a 20,000-person unallocated reserve, plus an additional 10,000 numbers for asylee adjustments. The determination also authorized in-country refugee processing for persons in Vietnam, Cuba, the former Soviet Union, and in exceptional circumstances identified by U.S. Embassies.

Federal Register Open PDF 69 FR 60943

Impact dates

  1. FY 2005 refugee admissions program ends

  2. Report determination to Congress immediately

Key directives

  • Set FY 2005 refugee admissions ceiling at 70,000
  • Allocate 20,000 unallocated reserve numbers to regions as needed upon notification to Congress
  • Authorize transfer of unused regional numbers to other regions upon Congressional notification
  • Provide 10,000 additional numbers for asylee adjustments to permanent residence
  • Authorize in-country refugee processing for Vietnam, Cuba, former Soviet Union, and exceptional embassy-identified cases
  • Report determination to Congress immediately
  • Publish determination in Federal Register

Who is ordered

Timeline

Immediate

  • FY 2005 refugee admissions ceiling of 70,000 takes effect
  • Regional allocations established
  • In-country refugee processing authorized for specified countries

Near term (90d)

  • Secretary of State to report determination to Congress
  • Publication in Federal Register

Long term

  • FY 2005 refugee admissions program implementation through September 30, 2005

Risks & tensions

  • Regional allocations may not match actual refugee flows, requiring reserve deployment or transfers
  • In-country processing designations carry foreign policy implications with Vietnam, Cuba, and former Soviet states
  • Amerasian immigrant inclusion within East Asia ceiling may reduce space for other regional refugees
Presidential Determination: Presidential Determination on FY 2005 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