[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 38, Number 42 (Monday, October 21, 2002)]
[Pages 1782-1783]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Memorandum on FY 2003 Refugee Admissions Numbers and Authorizations of 
In-Country Refugee Status

October 16, 2002

 Presidential Determination No. 2003-02

Memorandum for the Secretary of State

Subject: Presidential Determination on FY 2003 Refugee Admissions 
Numbers and Authorizations of In-Country Refugee Status

    In accordance with section 207 of the Immigration and Nationality 
Act (the ``Act'') (8 U.S.C. 1157), as amended, and after appropriate 
consultations with the Congress, I hereby make the following 
determinations and authorize the following actions:
    The admission of up to 70,000 refugees to the United States during 
FY 2003 is justified by humanitarian concerns or is otherwise in the 
national interest; provided, however, that this number shall be 
understood as including persons admitted to the United States during FY 
2003 with Federal refugee resettlement assistance under the Amerasian 
immigrant admissions program, as provided below.
    The 70,000 admissions numbers shall be allocated among refugees of 
special humanitarian concern to the United States in accordance with the 
following regional allocations; provided, however, that the number 
allocated to the East Asia region shall include persons admitted to the 
United States during FY 2003 with Federal refugee resettlement 
assistance under section 584 of the Foreign Operations, Export 
Financing, and Related Programs Appropriations Act of 1988, as contained 
in section 101(e) of Public Law 100-202 (Amerasian immigrants and their 
family members); provided further that the number allocated to the 
former Soviet Union shall include persons admitted who were nationals

[[Page 1783]]

of the former Soviet Union, or in the case of persons having no 
nationality, who were habitual residents of the former Soviet Union, 
prior to September 2, 1991:

  Africa......................................................    20,000
  East Asia...................................................     4,000
  Eastern Europe..............................................     2,500
  Former Soviet Union.........................................    14,000
  Latin America/Caribbean.....................................     2,500
  Near East/South Asia........................................     7,000
  Unallocated Reserve.........................................    20,000
 

    The 20,000 unallocated numbers shall be allocated as needed to 
regional ceilings where shortfalls develop. Unused admissions numbers 
allocated to a particular region may be transferred to one or more other 
regions if there is an overriding need for greater numbers for the 
region or regions to which the numbers are being transferred. You are 
hereby authorized and directed to consult with the Judiciary Committees 
of the Congress prior to any such use of the unallocated numbers or 
reallocation of numbers from one region to another.
    Pursuant to section 2(b)(2) of the Migration and Refugee Assistance 
Act of 1962, as amended, I hereby determine that assistance to or on 
behalf of persons applying for admission to the United States as part of 
the overseas refugee admissions program will contribute to the foreign 
policy interests of the United States and designate such persons for 
this purpose.
    An additional 10,000 refugee admissions numbers shall be made 
available during FY 2003 for the adjustment to permanent resident status 
under section 209(b) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 
1159(b)) of aliens who have been granted asylum in the United States 
under section 208 of the Act (8 U.S.C. 1158), as this is justified by 
humanitarian concerns or is otherwise in the national interest.
    In accordance with section 101(a)(42) of the Act (8 U.S.C. 
1101(a)(42)) and after appropriate consultation with the Congress, I 
also specify that, for FY 2003, the following persons may, if otherwise 
qualified, be considered refugees for the purpose of admission to the 
United States within their countries of nationality or habitual 
residence:
 a.          Persons in Vietnam
 b.          Persons in Cuba
 c.          Persons in the former Soviet Union
    You are authorized and directed to report this determination to the 
Congress immediately and to publish it in the Federal Register.
                                                George W. Bush