Speech #840153672

Hence. administrative waiver in certain deserving cases certainly seems necessary. Another provision which hampers administration of the act also is changed by my bill. Under the present law. a visa cannot be issued a prospective refugee unless he can provide documentary evidence of his activities for 2 years prior to his application. Obviously. many Iron Curtain escapees and disaster victims cannot comply with this requirement. Consequently. these persons are forced to wait out the 2 years in refugee camps in order to provide themselves with the necessary documentation. It seems only just to eliminate this restrictive requirement. Other changes are needed. Under the current program. refugee applicants must be sponsored by individual citizens. This means that the numerous voluntary agencies. which operated so well under the provisions of the Displaced Persons Act. are now prevented from sponsoring refugees. These agencies have the means and the knowhow to sponsor and provide for resettlement of aliens. Barring agency activity tends to cut down the number of aliens entering under the program. Thus. on the basis of fairness. and of sound administration. my bill provides that accredited voluntary agencies can give sponsorship to refugees admittable under the act. My bill provides for a major change in the administration of the Refugee Relief Act. At the present time. the program is directed by the Administrator of the Bureau of Security and Consular Affairs of the State Department. This official has numerous governmental responsibilities. with which the Refugee Relief Program must compete for time and attention. Yet administration of this vital activity is a complicated job. requiring the full efforts of a skilled Administrator. Therefore. it appears to me to be necessary to have the President appoint an administrator for the refugee relief program. whose sole responsibility would be getting the victims of oppression and calamity into this Nation as simply and speedily as possible. My entire bill has this end in view. I urge early congressional passage on this basis.