Mr. President. on June 3 President Reagan recommended to Congress that mostfavorednation trade status to Romania be renewed. This renewal was recommended mainly because Romania indicated that the education repayment imposed on potential emigrants by the Government would be rescinded. Rescinding the education tax would certainly be a first step in improving the emigration situation in Romaina. however. to the best of my knowledge. the United States has still not received any written assurances from the Romanian Government that this tax has in fact been rescinded. nor that it will be reinstated during the coming year. Mr. President. for the record. let me state precisely what this education tax entails. Citizens wishing to emigrate from Romania have been required to pay hard currency for any schooling received beyond the 10year compulsory level before being permitted to obtain a passport for emigration. This tax amounts to $3.700 for a person with a high school education. and $4.000 per person for each year of college education. This education repayment is no more than an obvious ransom whereby people are literally purchased out of Romania by sympathetic friends in the West. and runs counter not only to the JacksonVanik amendment to the Trade Act of 1974. but also to all of the international human rights agreements to which Romania has subscribed. When Foreign Minister Andrei met with our - State Department last month. a period of work/job service was mentioned as a substitute for the. hard currency payment currently in force in return for higher education. If the education tax were replaced by an unreasonable period of time for such work/job service. Romania would be taking backward steps from the goal of improving their emigration situationespecially if anything over a 3year period of such service were proposed. Beforecommitting ourselves to the extension of MFN. these matters should be clarified so there are no misunderstandings on either side. Last year assurances were given that processing time for emigrants would be reduced to 9 months the first year and 6 months thereafter. Assurances were also given that harassment of emigrants would cease. Mr. President.
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emigrate emigration emigrants