However. our current parole policy is inadequate in accommodating the unanticipated flow from the Soviet Union. It is important that the Congress and the administration have time to examine other policy options and problems. First. however. immediate steps must be taken by the administration to resume refugee status for those religiously persecuted. Since any legislative initiatives will take time to be adopted. H.R. 2022 should be considered an interim measure until longterm options have been agreed to. For this reason. the bill sunsets in 1990. Recently. emergency consultations with Congress were held to increase the available numbers for Eastern Europe so as to provide for additional visas to refugees from the Soviet Union until the end of this fiscal year. In addition. special immigration legislationH.R. 2646sent up by the administration has been introduced. This legislation. of which I am a cosponsor. addresses a longer term solution to the large number of people seeking emigration from the Soviet Union and other countries in similar positions. Madam Chairman. that Soviet Jews and other religious minorities are still being persecuted In the Soviet Union is a documented fact. The "Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1988." issued by the Department of State. contains many examples of group persecution of Soviet Religious minorities. The fact of persecution. the inadequacies of parole. and the abrupt change in policy bring into question Americas commitment to persecuted religious minorities. Although many Soviets are now being allowed to leave. there is no guarantee that this current relaxation of emigration policy will continue. Should Mr. Gorbachevs reform be replaced by a more repressive Soviet policy. the opportunity for persecuted minorities to leave will be losta risk clearly we should not run.
Keywords matched
emigration immigration visas refugees refugee