8 U.S.C. § 1521

Current through P.L. 118-44 (published on www.congress.gov on 03/18/2024), except for [P. L. 118-42]
Section 1521 - Office of Refugee Resettlement; establishment; appointment of Director; functions
(a) There is established, within the Department of Health and Human Services, an office to be known as the Office of Refugee Resettlement (hereinafter in this subchapter referred to as the "Office"). The head of the Office shall be a Director (hereinafter in this subchapter referred to as the "Director"), to be appointed by the Secretary of Health and Human Services (hereinafter in this subchapter referred to as the "Secretary").
(b) The function of the Office and its Director is to fund and administer (directly or through arrangements with other Federal agencies), in consultation with the Secretary of State, programs of the Federal Government under this subchapter.

8 U.S.C. § 1521

June 27, 1952, ch. 477, title IV, ch. 2, §411, as added Pub. L. 96-212, title III, §311(a)(2), Mar. 17, 1980, 94 Stat. 110; amended Pub. L. 103-236, title I, §162(n)(1), Apr. 30, 1994, 108 Stat. 409.

EDITORIAL NOTES

AMENDMENTS1994-Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 103-236 substituted "the Secretary of State" for "and under the general policy guidance of the United States Coordinator for Refugee Affairs (hereinafter in this subchapter referred to as the 'Coordinator')".

STATUTORY NOTES AND RELATED SUBSIDIARIES

EFFECTIVE DATE OF 1994 AMENDMENTAmendment by Pub. L. 103-236 applicable with respect to officials, offices, and bureaus of Department of State when executive orders, regulations, or departmental directives implementing the amendments by sections 161 and 162 of Pub. L. 103-236 become effective, or 90 days after Apr. 30, 1994, whichever comes earlier, see section 161(b) of Pub. L. 103-236 as amended, set out as a note under section 2651a of Title 22, Foreign Relations and Intercourse.

EFFECTIVE DATESubchapter applicable with respect to fiscal years beginning on or after Oct. 1, 1979, see section 313 of Pub. L. 96-212 set out as a note under section 1522 of this title.

SHORT TITLE OF REFUGEE ACT OF 1980For short title of Refugee Act of 1980, see Short Title of 1980 Amendment note set out under section 1101 of this title.

REFERENCES TO SECRETARY OF EDUCATION OR SECRETARY OF DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICESPub. L. 96-212, title II, §204(e), Mar. 17, 1980, 94 Stat. 109, provided that: "Any reference in this Act [see Short Title of 1980 Amendment note set out under section 1101 of this title] or in chapter 2 of title IV of the Immigration and Nationality Act [this subchapter] to the Secretary of Education or the Secretary of Health and Human Services or to the Department of Health and Human Services shall be deemed, before the effective date of the Department of Education Organization Act [see Effective Date note set out under section 3401 of Title 20, Education], to be a reference to the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare or to the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, respectively."

CONGRESSIONAL DECLARATION OF POLICIES AND OBJECTIVESPub. L. 96-212, title I, §101, Mar. 17, 1980, 94 Stat. 102, provided that:"(a) the Congress declares that it is the historic policy of the United States to respond to the urgent needs of persons subject to persecution in their homelands, including, where appropriate, humanitarian assistance for their care and maintenance in asylum areas, efforts to promote opportunities for resettlement or voluntary repatriation, aid for necessary transportation and processing, admission to this country of refugees of special humanitarian concern to the United States, and transitional assistance to refugees in the United States. The Congress further declares that it is the policy of the United States to encourage all nations to provide assistance and resettlement opportunities to refugees to the fullest extent possible."(b) The objectives of this Act [see Short Title of 1980 Amendment note set out under section 1101 of this title] are to provide a permanent and systematic procedure for the admission to this country of refugees of special humanitarian concern to the United States, and to provide comprehensive and uniform provisions for the effective resettlement and absorption of those refugees who are admitted."

State
The term "State" includes the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, the Virgin Islands of the United States, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
organization
The term "organization" means, but is not limited to, an organization, corporation, company, partnership, association, trust, foundation or fund; and includes a group of persons, whether or not incorporated, permanently or temporarily associated together with joint action on any subject or subjects.
permanent
The term "permanent" means a relationship of continuing or lasting nature, as distinguished from temporary, but a relationship may be permanent even though it is one that may be dissolved eventually at the instance either of the United States or of the individual, in accordance with law.
refugee
The term "refugee" means (A) any person who is outside any country of such person's nationality or, in the case of a person having no nationality, is outside any country in which such person last habitually resided, and who is unable or unwilling to return to, and is unable or unwilling to avail himself or herself of the protection of, that country because of persecution or a well-founded fear of persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion, or (B) in such special circumstances as the President after appropriate consultation (as defined in section 1157(e) of this title) may specify, any person who is within the country of such person's nationality or, in the case of a person having no nationality, within the country in which such person is habitually residing, and who is persecuted or who has a well-founded fear of persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion. The term "refugee" does not include any person who ordered, incited, assisted, or otherwise participated in the persecution of any person on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion. For purposes of determinations under this chapter, a person who has been forced to abort a pregnancy or to undergo involuntary sterilization, or who has been persecuted for failure or refusal to undergo such a procedure or for other resistance to a coercive population control program, shall be deemed to have been persecuted on account of political opinion, and a person who has a well founded fear that he or she will be forced to undergo such a procedure or subject to persecution for such failure, refusal, or resistance shall be deemed to have a well founded fear of persecution on account of political opinion.
admission
The terms "admission" and "admitted" mean, with respect to an alien, the lawful entry of the alien into the United States after inspection and authorization by an immigration officer.
admitted
The terms "admission" and "admitted" mean, with respect to an alien, the lawful entry of the alien into the United States after inspection and authorization by an immigration officer.