Speech #1010020001

Mr. President. today. I am pleased to join my friend and colleague Senator FRANK LAUTENBERG of New Jersey in offering important legislation to make some necessary refinements in the procedures for determining the status of Soviet and other refugees. The historic opening of emigration from the Soviet Union for Jewish and other persecuted religious minorities which we have begun to see in recent months have overwhelmed our refugee policy. There are many more cases approved to leave the Soviet Union than we had ever anticipated. To address this problem. I introduced the Refugee Emergency Admissions Act. S. 476. in February. This bill will require the President to increase visa numbers by 39.000 this fiscal year. These additional numbers are to be allocated as follows: 25.000 Soviet refugees. 7.500 Eastern European refugees. 6.500 Southeast Asian refugees. Todays legislation which I am cosponsoring with Senator LAUTENBERG addresses another significant but related problem. Since last fall. the Immigration and Naturalization Service has started to review Soviet and Southeast Asian refugee applications on a casebycase basis. resulting in unprecedented high rates of denial of refugee status for these individuals. This bill will establish certain categories of Soviet and Southeast Asians presumed to be subject to persecution and provide for adjustment of their refugee status. We have seen recent reforms in the Soviet Union. but few of these have been formalized in law. While we hope these reforms will continue. we have no guarantees and consequently must make sure that all individuals who wish to enter the United States should have that opportunity.