Speech #1000080288

Furthermore. the GAO report states that while ICM reported that the majority of returnees to El Salvador indicate that economics was their primary motive for departure. officials contacted by the GAO admitted that it is extremely difficult to determine the primary motive for migrationeconomic factors or fear of violence or persecution. When GAO asked for comments on which factor was more important. officials provided mixed response and said that both factors were involved. While the 1986 Immigration Reform Act provides amnesty to individuals who entered this country prior to 1982. the percentage of Salvadoran refugees protected by this legislation is small. The majority of Salvadorans entered this country after 1982 as the violence and human rights violations escalated due to the civil war. Further. although immigrants from both El Salvador and Nicaragua face similar conditions of war. violence. economic collapse. and possible persecution at home. the Reagan administration is deporting most illegal immigrants from El Salvador while allowing Nicaraguans to stay. So far this year. the INS has granted approximately 88 percent of the requests for asylum by Nicaraguans. but has granted only 3 percent of such requests by Salvadorans. Attorney General Meese made this discriminatory policy more blatant announcing on July 8 that the Justice Department would encourage Nicaraguans. whose claims for asylum or deferral of deportation had been denied. to reapply. The Justice Department has made it clear that it has no intention of broadening its policy to include Salvadoran refugees. The administrations double standard is clearly based on its policy toward the regimes in Managua and San Salvador. Nicaraguan immigrants are clearly allowed to stay here because the administration opposes it Marxist government. Salvadorans. on the other hand. are deported largely because the administration does not want to grant refugee status to immigrants from a nation whose government we support. Despite the different forms of government in these two nations. the safety of citizens in both countries is jeopardized by war. and neither economy can support its citizens. Further. suspending the deportation of Salvadorans will not amount to a condemnation of the Duarte government. in fact. President Duarte has strongly opposed United States deportation of thousands of refugees to his nation. Mr. Chairman. again.