Chairman. I believe my bill is broader and better in its terms. although there are a few provisions which are virtually identical in their effect. One such provision is in section 7 of my bill and section 10 of the Watkins bill. which would dliminate the present requirement of a 2year security check on escapees and refugeesa provision which virtually defeats the whole purpose of the act and the program. Under present law each applicant must provide documentation covering 2 years of his past life. showing everything that he has been doing during those 2 years. and that he is antiCommunist. among other things. For those who have just escaped from behind the Iron Curtain. this is an obvious impossibility. in all but rare cases. Both the Watkins bill and my bill recognize this fact and both bills would repeal this requirement which is found in subsection 11 (d). The first major difference between the two bills is in the definitions. The Watkins bill relaxes somewhat the presently unworkable definition which requires an escapee also to be a refugee. under the very strict definition in section 2 (a) of the present law. My bill would combine the two definitions and eliminate entirely the term "escapee." I provide a simple. workable definition for "refugee." which would cover both refugees and escapees. Under my amendment the term "refugee" would include persons who are displaced from their country of birth or nationality as a result of events prior. during. or subsequent to the outbreak of World War II. and as a result of present political conditions. fear of persecution. military operations. etc.. are unable to return to their natural place of abode.. This would cover both refugees and escapees. There is no reason to make a distinction between refugees and escapees. Any distinction is only cumbersome and contributes to delay and confusion in interpretation. I believe in this respect my bill is preferable to the Watkins bill.
Keywords matched
refugeesa refugee refugees