CFU Applauds Introduction of Legislation Granting Priority Refugee Status to Uyghurs

  • June 9, 2023

CFU PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 8, 4:30 PM ET

Sabrina Sohail: [email protected] 

(650) 703-4523

https://www.campaignforuyghurs.org

Campaign for Uyghurs (CFU) commends U.S. Representatives Jennifer Wexton (D-VA), María Elvira Salazar (R-FL), Gregory Meeks (D-NY), Don Beyer (D-VA), and Gerry Connolly (D-VA) for their leadership in introducing the bipartisan Uyghur Human Rights Protection Act (UHRPA). This crucial legislation aims to provide priority refugee status and expedited asylum applications to Uyghurs and other Turkic groups in East Turkistan who are facing persecution under the Chinese regime.

The bipartisan legislation aims to provide Uyghurs with Priority 2 (P-2) refugee status, acknowledging their urgent need for resettlement and expedited access to the asylum process in the United States. By granting P-2 designation, the bill acknowledges Uyghurs as refugees with urgent humanitarian needs that warrant special attention from the United States. Additionally, the Act emphasizes the importance of protecting Uyghur refugees who have sought safety in countries outside of China. It directs the U.S. Secretary of State to prioritize diplomatic efforts in these countries, recognizing the intense pressure they face from the Chinese government to extradite Uyghurs back to China. This provision underscores the need to safeguard Uyghur refugees and ensure their safety and well-being outside of China’s reach.

“The horrific atrocities that Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities are facing at the hands of the Chinese government are a global human rights emergency, and the United States cannot turn our back to those fleeing this persecution,” said Rep. Wexton. “I’ve heard firsthand from Uyghur constituents about their fears for their relatives trying to escape the horrors in Xinjiang. I’m proud to lead this bipartisan effort to give those suffering this oppression hope for a path to expedited refugee status and asylum,” Rep. Wexton added.

Executive Director Rushan Abbas said, “I am grateful to Representatives Wexton, Salazar, Meeks, Beyer, and Connolly for their commitment to the Uyghur cause. The Uyghur Human Rights Protection Act is a critical step towards addressing the urgent needs of Uyghurs fleeing the horrific repression by the Chinese regime. It sends a strong message of support to Uyghurs who have been subjected to unspeakable atrocities and underscores the urgency of the situation. We need a swift passage to protect and provide refuge to those fleeing persecution.”

CFU urges all members of Congress to pass the UHRPA and stand in solidarity with the Uyghurs in their fight for freedom, justice, and human rights.

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Campaign for Uyghurs

We defend the human rights of Uyghur people and the free world by exposing and confronting the Chinese government's genocide, and empowering Uyghur women and youth in the diaspora.

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