Speech #930345825

Mr. President. I welcome the emigration agreement worked out on October 18 and support the legislative provision introduced by Senators JACKSON. RIBICOFF. and JAVITS which allows a conditional waiver of the restrictions of the Jackson amendment. It should go without saying that the Senate expects the Soviet Government to comply with the terms of the emigration agreement. as detailed in the letter exchange between Secretary Kissinger and Senator JACKSON. as a condition for congressional approval to renew U.S. trade benefits at the end of the 18month initial waiver period. It is important to emphasize that. while the Kissinger letter may cover the totality of Soviet assurances received by the administration concerning Soviet emigration practices. the Senate expects that the administration will act on its commitment to include the points in the Jackson letter as criteria for determining Soviet eligibility for renewed trade benefits at the end of 18 months. I wish to emphasize the point made in the letter agreement that. with application of the criteria for emigration practices and procedures outlined in the letters. the rate of emigration from the U.S.S.R. is expected to rise promptly from the 1973 level and continue to rise to correspond to the number of applications for exit visas. The Jackson letter sets as a minimum standard of initial compliance a benchmark of 60.000 visas to be issued during the first year. If harassment of wouldbe emigrants actually ceases. there is no question that at least 60.000 Soviet citizens can be expected to leave during the first year. There are currently more than 140.000 Soviet Jews alone who have fulfilled the prerequisite step for applying for a visa by having requested and received a written "invitation" to emigrate from a relative in Israel. but who have not yet been granted permission to leave the U.S.S.R. It is certain that many more would apply for exit visas if they were assured freedom from persecution by the Soviet authorities as retaliation against their application. Soviet authorities repeatedly stated that fewer Jews are applying to leave and that this indicates a decreasing desire to emigrate. I am concerned about the methods Soviet authorities are reported to use to reduce the number of applicants so that they can make such claims. Some of the newer methods reportedly being used by the authorities to reduce the number of applicants are evident in the city of Minsk. In Minsk. harassment of Soviet Jews is said to begin as soon as they receive the written invitation to emigrate from a relative abroadthat is. before they even have the opportuntiy to request formally the application documents. The authorities keep careful record of these invitations since they monitor all international mail. Many Jews who have received their invitation from a relative in Israel have subsequently been plagued by threatening calls from Soviet authorities aimed at intimidating them from making formal application to emigrate. Other Jews have been fired from their jobs upon receiving the invitation. Still others are being pressured by Soviet authorities at their place of work to sgn documents aimed at curbing emigration. in which the signatories promise not to apply for either exit visas or visas to visit abroad. not to visit foreign embassies in the U.S.S.R.. and to refrain from correspondence with anyone abroad and contact with foreign visitors. Another way the authorities are said to cut down on the number of applicants for visas is by making the task of obtaining a visa extremely difficult. For example. in the city of Kishinev. the visa office is open only 3 days a week and its employees are encouraged to handle only a handful of cases each day. A backlog now exists in Kishinev of more than 1.500 families waiting to begin their application process. So. in effect. Soviet officials can say that few families from that city have applied for visas. Many other forms of harassment and purposeful bureaucratic redtape are used to decrease the number of applicants. It is important to note that an "applicant". according to official Soviet definition. is a term used only for someone who has managed to obtain all the various documents required and to complete every step in the incredibly intricate application procedure. All these forms of harassment. all these purposeful difficulties placed in the path of a wouldbe applicant must cease in order for the Soviet Union to be in compliance with the recently signed emigration agreement. The Congress intends to remain vigilant during the yearandahalf waiver period to assure that such compliance is achieved.