Speech #990029412

Social Security check of $236 a monthearned legally through long years of laborhe lives comfortably. His monthly Social Security check translates into about 1.650 pesos. which is more than what the local physician earns. This humanitarian and taxsaving program to help migrants who desire to return home to rejoin their families has been successful in repatriating over 70 elderly immigrants to the Philippines from Hawaii. Over the years the BalikBahay Program. now known as "Repatria" has been in operation. its main stumbling block has been the cost of transportat!on. Many Immigrants have been assisted in reestablishing contact with their families in the Philippines and are eager to return home but are unable. to pay their plane fare. Mr. President. my bill would direct the Attorney General. through the Commissioner of the Immigration and Naturalization Service. to conduct a study to determine how many elderly. indigent immigrants in the United States wish to return to their native countries. The study would examine the costs and benefits of a Federal program to finance the transportation costs of returning such Immigrants to their native countries and the options for financing such a program. In addition. the advantages and disadvantages would be weighed of requiring the Federal Government to ensure. through certification by an appropriate agency of the home country. that a repatriated immigrants health and welfare will be protected. Finally. the use of the BalikBahay Program as a model for a similar Federal program or the expansion of the program with Federal funding would be explored. This measure was introduced as S. 2402 in the 98th Congress as a companion bill to HR. 4394.