Mr. President. aside from granting nermanent resident status to the families in the Embassy. we believe that our legislation will have a significant effect upon the way the Vashchenkos and Chmykhalovs live their lives while they remain in the Embassy. It is important for the United States to do all that it can to protect the families in their struggle and do whatever we can to protect them while they wait for permission to emigrate from the Soviet authorities. The Vashchenko and Chmykhalov families should be treated respectfully and Judiciouslynot like unwanted intruders. The religious persecution the families have endured throughout their lives is not unusual. The faith and perseverance thev have displayed. the circumstances surrounding their many attempts to immigrate. and the fact that they have resided in our Embassy for over 21/2 years make this a unioue situation. It requires a uninue solution. The Vashchenkos and Chravkhalovs have struggled for 19 years to gain emigration visas from the Soviet Union. The Vashchenkos oldest children were taken from their parents at a young age and put in an orphanage for what the Soviets call "reeducation." After the imprisonment of Peter. the father of the Vashchenko family. the family sought aid from the American Embassy in Moscow. The Embassy could not help and Peter Vashchenko remained incarcerated for 2 years and the children lived for more than 6 years in the orphanage. Their second appeal for emigration rermission proved equally unsuccessful. After making a 2.000mile journey from Chernogorsk to Moscow. Peter was arrested by Soviet police and imprisoned for 1 year after being placed in a psvchiatric hospital for 2 months.
Keywords matched
emigrate emigration immigrate visas