Refugee Act of 1980

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The Refugee Act of 1980 - the culmination of years of work by the legislative and executive branches of government and by diverse groups of interested parties - was signed by President Jimmy Carter on March 17, 1980. Significant features of the Refugee Act include:

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      - Establishment of a legal defintion of "refugee" based on international law, namely, the Convention and

        Protocol on the Status of Refugees;

      - Raising the limit on regular refugee admissions to 50,000 per year;

      - Providing a procedure for raising the number of admissions in case of emergencies involving refugees

        of "special humanitarian concern";

      - Establishment of a procedure for applying for asylum in the United States;

      - increase in Congressional control of the entire refugee admission process; and

      - Creation of federal programs to assist in resettling refugees in the United States.

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Sources:

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​Anker, Deborah E. and Michael H. Posner. “The Forty Year Crisis: A Legislative History of the Refugee Act of 1980.” San Diego Law Review 19 (1981): 9-90. 

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Kennedy, Edward M. “Refugee Act of 1980.” International Migration Review 15 (1981): 141-156.

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