Speech #990190699

Congressman MICHAEL BILIRAKIS. who traveled to Vietnam with Senator MURKOWSKI. Congressman MCEWEN. and myself in January. will be introducing companion legislation in the House of Representatives. While the congressional members of the Murkowski Codel were in Hanoi pursuing the POW/MIA issue with Vietnamese officials. other members of our staffs visited the Phanat Nikhom Refugee Camp in Thailand. In subsequent reports to us. they underscored the importance of the Orderly Departure Program [ODPI continuing in an unimpeded manner. Mr. President. the Orderly Departure Program was negotiated in 1979 between the Socialist Republic of Vietnam [SRVI and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in response to the flood of boat people who fled Vietnam in 1978 and 1979. Many of these "boat people" traveled in unsafe vessels and unnecessarily died as a result of storms. drownings. and attacks by pirates. The Orderly Departure Program was established to provide a humane and orderly way in which refugees could leave Vietnam and resettle in nations willing to accept them. The Orderly Departure Program works like this: Interest expressed. A person in the United States or in the SRV contacts the ODP office at the American Embassy in Bangkok. or a voluntary agency in the United States. expressing interest in the ODP. The ODP office requests an immigrant visa petition from the relative in the United States or proof of a past close association with the United States. Documentation. Upon receipt of an approved immigrant visa petition [I130] or of evidence of close past ties with the United States. the ODP office in Bangkok opens a file and requests the documents required to complete the application. When the ODP is satisfied with the documentation submitted. it then adds the name of the applicant to the list of names of those approved for entry to the United States which is periodically forwarded to the Vietnamese authorities through the UNHCR representatives. The ODP office simultaneously issues a letter of introduction for use by the individual in Vietnam to obtain an exit permit. although this has often not been required by the Vietnamese authorities.