U.S. CODE

U.S. Code

§ 2601. Refugees and migration

(a) United States membership in International Organization for Migration; contributions to Organization

(1) The President is authorized to continue membership for the United States in the International Organization for Migration in accordance with the constitution of such organization approved in Venice, Italy, on October 19, 1953, as amended in Geneva, Switzerland, on November 24, 1998, upon entry into force of such amendments.

(2) For the purpose of assisting in the movement of refugees and migrants, there are authorized to be appropriated to the President such amounts as may be necessary from time to time for payment by the United States of its contributions to the International Organization for Migration and all necessary salaries and expenses incidental to United States participation in such organization.

(b) Appropriations for assistance to refugees

There are authorized to be appropriated such amounts as may be necessary from time to time—

(1) for contributions to the activities of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees for assistance to refugees under his mandate or persons on behalf of whom he is exercising his good offices, and for contributions to the International Organization for Migration, the International Committee of the Red Cross, and to other relevant international organizations; and

(2) for assistance to or on behalf of refugees who are outside the United States designated by the President (by class, group, or designation of their respective countries of origin or areas of residence) when the President determines that such assistance will contribute to the foreign policy interests of the United States.

(1) Whenever the President determines it to be important to the national interest he is authorized to furnish on such terms and conditions as he may determine assistance under this chapter for the purpose of meeting unexpected urgent refugee and migration needs.

(2) There is established a United States Emergency Refugee and Migration Assistance Fund to carry out the purposes of this section. There is authorized to be appropriated to the President from time to time such amounts as may be necessary for the fund to carry out the purposes of this section, except that no amount of funds may be appropriated which, when added to amounts previously appropriated but not yet obligated, would cause such amounts to exceed $100,000,000. Amounts appropriated hereunder shall remain available until expended.

(3) Whenever the President requests appropriations pursuant to this authorization he shall justify such requests to the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, as well as to the Committees on Appropriations.

(d) Information to Congressional committees

The President shall keep the appropriate committees of Congress currently informed of the use of funds and the exercise of functions authorized in this chapter.

(e) Continued availability of certain funds

Unexpended balances of funds made available under authority of the Mutual Security Act of 1954, as amended, and of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended, [22 U.S.C. 2151 et seq.], and allocated or transferred for the purposes of sections 405(a), 405(c), 405(d) and 451(c) ^[1] of the Mutual Security Act of 1954, as amended [22 U.S.C. 1925 (a), (c), (d), 1951 (c)], are authorized to be continued available for the purposes of this section and may be consolidated with appropriations authorized by this section.

(f) Restrictions on foreign assistance not applicable to migration and refugee assistance

The President may furnish assistance and make contributions under this chapter notwithstanding any provision of law which restricts assistance to foreign countries.

[1] See References in Text note below.

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