Speech #1000019585

on behalf of the entire bipartisan leadership of the House. This resolution expresses the sense of the Congress regarding continuing violations by the Soviet Union of its international human rights commitments. especially the right to emigrate. This resolution is. in part. a response to emigration regulations promulgated in the Soviet Union late last year which became effective on January 1. of this year. These regulations actually limit the number of people eligible for emigration by codifying the restrictive Soviet practices which have been in effect since 1979. Mr. Speaker. the resolution highlights the plight of Soviet Jews and others whose basic human rights have been denied. It calls upon the Soviet Union to release all prisoners of conscience and permit all refuseniks. divided spouses. and others who wish to emigrate to do so. The resolution has nearly 200 cosponsors and is similar to one passed by the Senate earlier this session. Emigration of Soviet Jews. on which this resolution focuses was. in 1986. at its lowest in 15 years. While approximately 400.000 Soviet Jews have indicated a desire to emigrate. only 914 Jews were permitted to leave last year. Despite expectations of a significant change in Soviet human rights policy and increased emigration. this dismal trend of low emigration rates continued in the first 2 months of 1987. I am pleased to note. however. that the emigration figures for March will reflect a significant increase in the rate of Soviet Jewish emigration. up to somewhere between 400 and 500. We are very hopeful that this increased level represents the start of a trend. I understand that American Jewish leaders were in Moscow last week to discuss with Soviet authorities this issue and that those authorities have indicated a readiness to increase significantly the rate of Jewish emigration and to improve the situation for those Jews who remain in the U.S.S.R. I hope that Soviet actions in the coming months in the area of human rights. including the resolution of all refusenik cases. the release of all prisoners of conscience. and the reunification of all divided United StatesSoviet spouses and families. will make future resolutions on this issue unnecessary. However.