Speech #970163639

Mr. President. after a struggle which has spanned several years. the U.S. Department of State has admitted through a change in policy that its misguided refugee program in Indochina was contributing more to the problem than to the solution. A recent press report stated that: Faced with Thai appeals to help "curtail" an endless flow of Indochinese refugees into the country. the U.S. Embassy here has announced a new American refugee policy aimed at discouraging Indochinese from leaving their homelands. This new policy will disqualify a new migrant who does not have ties with the United States. Implicit in this announcement is an admission that the State Departments policy over the last few years of classifying any migrant from Laos. Cambodia. and Vietman as a refugee was wrong. In essence. it is this policy which has kept a steady stream of economic migrants flowing out of Indochina over the last 4 years and which has cost the American taxpayers billions of dollars in special assistance programs. This turnaround in policy clearly indicates that refugee policy should be taken out of the hands of the Depart-