Skip to main content
S 1651 110th Congress Senate Immigration Aliens Congress Congressional reporting requirements Deportation Diplomats Displaced persons Egypt Embassies Families Federal employees Government Operations and Politics Immigrants International Affairs International relief Iraq Iraq compilation Jordan Lebanon Married people

Refugee Crisis in Iraq Act

Introduced: June 19, 2007 See on congress.gov
 Everywhere this bill has been 4 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Jul 23, 2007
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S9768-9771)
Jun 19, 2007
Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
Jun 19, 2007
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S7892-7895)
Jun 19, 2007
Introduced in Senate
 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Refugee Crisis in Iraq Act - Directs the Secretary of State (Secretary) to establish processing facilities in Iraq and in countries in the region for eligible Iraqis to apply and interview for U.S. admission as refugees or as special immigrants.

Includes among refugees of special humanitarian concern: (1) Iraqis who were employed by, or worked for or directly with the U.S. government in Iraq; (2) Iraqis who were employed in Iraq by a U.S.-based media or nongovernmental organization or an organization that has received a grant from, or entered into a cooperative agreement or contract with the U.S. government; (3) spouses, children, sons, daughters, siblings, and parents of Iraqis who worked for the U.S. government or who are special immigrants; and (4) Iraqis who are members of a religious or minority community and have close family members in the United States. Authorizes the Secretary to identify other priority groups in Iraq.

Authorizes the Secretary of Homeland Security to provide special immigrant status to an otherwise admissible Iraqi national (and spouse and children) who was employed by, or worked for or directly with the U.S. government in Iraq for at least one year in or after 2003.

Directs the Secretary to: (1) establish in the U.S. embassy in Baghdad, Iraq, a Minister Counselor for Iraqi Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons; and (2) designate in the U.S. embassies in Cairo, Egypt; Amman, Jordan; Damascus, Syria; and Beirut, Lebanon a Minister Counselor to oversee U.S. resettlement of persons considered refugees of special humanitarian concern.

Directs the Secretary, with respect to each country with a significant population of displaced Iraqis, including Iraq, Jordan, Egypt, Syria, Turkey, and Lebanon, to: (1) consult with other countries regarding resettlement of the most vulnerable members of such refugee populations; and (2) develop mechanisms in and provide assistance to countries with a significant population of displaced Iraqis to ensure their well-being and safety in their host environments.

Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to permit a qualifying Iraqi applicant for asylum or withholding of removal whose claim was denied on the basis of changed country conditions to file for reopening of his or her claim.

What's happening now July 23, 2007

Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S9768-9771)

 Committees of jurisdiction 1