Speech #840149056

Mr. Speaker. today I have introduced two bills to amend the Refugee Relief Act of 1953. as amended. The first amendment I offered is to eliminate the requirement that governments grant to aliens seeking admission under the act. certificates of readmission before they may be considered for a visa. I have offered this amendment because during an extended inspection trip of the Far East last fall. I found that the requirement in the present law in this respect was seriously retarding the successful administration of the act and greatly reducing good will in the Far East which will surely come if the benefits of the Refugee Relief Act are successfully administered. I found that most of the governments in the Far East. many of which have but recently acquired their national independence. are extremely sensitive to all things which appear to infringe upon their national sovereignty. Many of them consider it an infringement upon that sovereignty if they were to issue such certificates of readmission because that would give a foreign government the right to return an immigrant at any time. under any circumstances. and without prior discussion with or consideration by the concerned government. Moreover. this requirement has prevented the United States from admitting some very talented and high type refugees from communism simply because governments of the countries where they now reside feared to enter into an agreement guaranteeing certificates of readmission. The second amendment I have offered eases the present strange. inflexible. and in many respects impractical requirement for assurances as outlined in section 7 (a) of the act. It is the purpose of this amendment to give full and proper recognition to the facts that American voluntary agencies accredited by the Administrator of the Refugee Relief Act. are completely dependable and in every sense competent to prevent aliens in whom they have taken an interest from becoming a public charge when admitted to the United States. These American voluntary agencies have established a fine record in assisting our Government in the carrying out of refugee programs in the past. That record shows the best guaranty the Government can have against an immigrant becoming a public charge is to have one of these voluntary agencies take an interest in the aliens case and to lay out a plan for the rapid and complete integration of that alien into the American way of life. Mr. Speaker. there are several pending amendments to the Refugee Relief Act of 1953. including a major one introduced by the chairman of the subcommittee. I am hopeful. therefore. that the chairman of the subcommittee will schedule early hearings on all bills seeking to amend the Refugee Relief Act of 1953. as amended. I feel that if the great purposes of this legislation. as outlined by President Eisenhower. are to be attained. early and favorable action should be taken on these two bills. H.