Speech #980043356

Absent an impenetrable wall. nothing we can do domestically will completely discourage or prevent this growing pressure for migration. The provisions of this bill do nothing to alleviate this flood at its source. The Haitian refugees detained in U.S. camps offer a vivid example. These people cannot possibly think they have entered the golden door of economic and social opportunity. yet they continue to cross dangerous open seas to reach our shores. What causes this continuous flow of refugees which brings with it so much pain and suffering? It is clear that they prefer even the meager existence offered in these camps to a life where the government systematically denies social and economic opportunity. These Haitian refugees continue to come to America because in their country: The national per capita income is $260. the lowest in the Western Hemisphere. Half the national wealth is in the hands of 5 percent of the population. The government spends only $1 per person annually on education. while spending $18 per person annually on internal security. Repression has been a sad fact of life since the Duvalier family began its brutal tradition in 1957. As with Mexico. there is a direct link between the problem of unlawful immigration into the United States and the economic and political situation in Haiti. Should this body decide to focus on the equally important foreign causes of immigration. it must begin by realizing our tacit support of the corruption and repression of the Duvalier regime in Haiti means the continued migration of the "boat people." Finally. Mr. President. the most glaring example of the link between this countrys immigration and foreign policies is the violent situation in El Salvador. I find a sad irony in this countrys involvement in El Salvador. on the one hand. and the omission in this debate on immigration policy of any consideration of the foreign forces causing migration and refugee flow. Clearly. the migration of Salvadoran refugees is an extension of U.S. Central American policy. According to U.S. Ambassador Hinton. since 1980. over 34.000 people have been killed in El Salvador as a direct result of the 6ivil war. This violence has decimated the population of that country and created a nation of refugees. Many Salvadorans flee their country with legitimate fear of persecution. and perhaps even more have been driven away by the random violence and destruction. The combined effect is staggering. An estimated 500.000 Salvadorans are currently living in the United States (lawfully and unlawfully) as refugees of their wartorn country. Another estimated 250.000 are living in camps on church grounds in El Salvador. An additional 350.000 refugees are thought to be harbored in neighboring Central American countries. Approximately onefifth of the entire Salvadoran population lives as displaced refugees. It should hardly surprise anyone. then. that last year alone. over 18.000 Salvadorans asked for asylum in the United States. Mr. President. while this is not the place for an indepth analysis of the history of our Central American policy. I want to make a number of points that I consider particularly relevant to any discussion of our immigration policy. First. along with the traditional ties that link Central America with the United Statestrade. security. and humanitarian concernswe find an additional link in the direct effect this region has on our immigration policies. Any comprehensive discussion of the immigration issue must recognize that more than any other region of the world. our Central American neighbors play a primary role in supporting our efforts to control the flow of immigration to the United States. And only with their cooperation and assistance will our efforts succeed. Second. our past policies in Central America have been severely flawed. We must correct them if we hope to ease the pressures of migration and refugee flow from this region. Quite simply. this countrys Central American policy has lacked imagination. commitment. and constancy. In the past. our efforts have been marked by sporadic attempts to maintain the status quo. with little regard for the implication of that policy on human rights and freedoms. Following these attempts to introduce stability into the region. we have. by and large. neglected any longterm effort to promote economic development and social justice in Central America. Third. the farreaching effects of this narrowly conceived Central American policy stretch far beyond the immigration issue. They also have helped to create and perpetuate an ironically perverse impression of the United States in the eyes- of the people of Central America. With the exception of Costa Rica. which even now must keep the United States at arms length to avoid criticism from its neighbors. the popular image of the United States in Central America is that of an insensitive giant enforcing its will upon its southern neighbors.