Speaker. I am deeply say they have no official figures on the numconcerned over the tragedy of the or- ber of illegitimate children left behind by phaned and abandoned children left in the departing G.I.s. and no way of getting the wake of the Vietnam war. accurate information on the problem. but These children. estimated to number private estimates range from 15.000 to over about 700.000. have suffered terribly dur- 100.000. ing the course of the conflict and will Even in the -case of an American soldier continue to suffer even more as our forces wanting to bring his own illegitimate child withdraw from Vietnam. since a large back to the United States. the problem of withdr om theseVien . sinehaps l e doing so is very complicated. number of these children. perhaps 10.- An illegitimate child born in this country 000 to 50.000. were fathered by U.S. serv- naturally acquires all the rights of a citizen icemen. At present the South Vietnamese because of the place of its birth. but one Government has placed strict barriers on born overseas must be "legitimate" or face an the emigration of these children of U.S. almost impossible set of legal complications soldiers and has indicated its opposition before being allowed to enter the United to special aid for these children if it is States. Also. the law insists that the father of the not matched in equal amounts with aid child must have lived in the United States for Vietnamese orphans. for ten years before the birth of the child. The problem of caring for these and five years after the age of 14. before the youngsters demands resources much child can be considered for entry into this greater than the present South Viet- country. namese Government is capable of offer- Harry J.
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emigration