Speech #970194161

Rather than encourage them to seek political asylum. the U.S. Government granted these Ethiopian exiles "temporary extended departure status." This policy allowed them to stay. but did not lead to permanent residence status. In August 1981. the automatic policy of granting temporary extended departure status was revoked. and thousands of Ethiopians received notice that they would be deported. These individuals believe very strongly that they would be imprisoned or killed by the regime if they returned. They point to proclamation 214 of 1981. published in the official Ethiopian press. which announces sentences ranging from 5 years to death for persons who had left the country illegally. Ties to the United States. open opposition to the regime in Ethiopia. and religious beliefs also endanger many of these Ethiopians. What our resolution recommends is that the Secretary restore the temporary extended departure status for those Ethiopians who have been in the country since before 1980. until such time as final passage of an immigration bill gives them the opportunity to become permanent residents. We also want to urge that the State Department and the Immigration and Naturalization Service give sympathetic consideration to Ethiopian applications for asylum. and especially that they take into greater consideration the difficulty many Ethiopians who have resided several years in this country have in providing direct. documented evidence of personal persecution. and the dangers they would face upon returning to their homeland.*