However. no criteria is now available which specifies when extended voluntary departure can be granted and why certain countries qualify. Just recently. the administration announced its extension of voluntary departure to foreign nationals from Poland. The Refugee Act of 1980 was passed by Congress to establish a uniform process by which we accept refugees. that is. those individuals having a "wellfounded fear of persecution based on race. religion. nationality. membership in a particular social group or political opinion." With the passage of the Refugee Act. the use of extended voluntary departure decreased. However. even after passage of this act. the administration continued to use its executive authority to grant extended voluntary departure in special circumstances for certain countries. such as Uganda. Poland. Ethiopia. and Afghanistan. I think the present ad hoc usage of EVD demonstrates a clear need for congressional action to establish formal procedures for granting EVD by the Attorney General. The purpose of the Refugee Act was to establish a formal and orderly process for accepting refugees and to supplant the ad hoc use of parole and nationspecific procedures. We need the same for EVD. I believe this legislation makes much more sense than granting a stay of deportation just for El Salvador and Nicaragua. pending completion of a GAO report. That legislation has been introduced during the past several Congresses with unsuccessful results. However. having just recently visited both countries.
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Refugee deportation refugees