Speech #900189559

Mr. Speaker. the Immigration and Nationality Act. as amended. authorizes the conditional entry into the United States of 10.200 refugees annually who were uprooted from their homes by natural calamities or who. because of persecution or fear of persecution. or on account of race. religion. or political opinion. have fled from a Communistdominated country. or from a country within the general area of the Middle East. When the refugee provisions were considered by Subcommittee No. 1 of the Committee on the Judiciary. we recognized the reality that as long as totalitarian regimes exist the oppressed will turn to the United States as a country of asylum. In the last 6 months the number of refugees applying for asylum in the United States has appreciably increased from 2.854 during the period ending June 30. 1967. to 4.328 for the period ending December 31. 1967. Under the provisions of this act the conditional entry of a refugee is the same as an entry under parole and provision is made for the adjustment of status of these refugees after they have been physically present in the United States for 2 years. Additionally. the law provides that onehalf of the numbers authorized for refugees5.100may be used in lieu of conditional entry to adjust the status of refugees who have already been physically present in the United States for 2 years. In order that the House may be fully informed of the operation of the refugee section--section 203(a) (7) of the Immigration and Nationality ActI wish to insert in the RECORD a report submitted by Hon. Raymond F. Farrell. Commissioner of the Immigration and Naturalization Service. which sets forth refugee statistics for the 6month period ending