Speech #1010044801

Only the United States has the power and influence with the Soviet Union to stand for freedom and human rights for Soviet Jews and other minorities. and to make a difference on their behalf. It is a sad and bitter irony that. at the very moment our steadfast policy is exacting a degree of success. we are closing the doors on the peoples whose cause we have championed. Thte Meese policy has had a predictable. and cruel. effect: A backlog of over 12.000 Soviet Jewish refugees in Italy. These numbers will swell further unless we restore our previous policy toward them and other Soviet ethnic and religious minorities. Madam Chairman. H.R. 2022 repeals the Meese policy. and brings our immigration procedures for Soviet Jews and other persecuted minorities In consonance with our beliefs. I also note that this legislation contains a sunset provision of September 30. 1990. permiffing a thorough review of these matters next year as circumstances warrant. But. in the meantime. a shameful retreat from our solidarity with Soviet Jewry will be reversed. I urge support for H.R. 2022. Robert Greenberger of the Wall Street Journal recently reported on the Soviet refugee backlog In Ladispoli. Italy. I commend his superb account to my colleagues. (From the Wall Street Journal. June 23. 1989] BETWEEm WORLDS: Now THAT SOVIET JEWS ARE FREER TO EMIGRATE. U.S. Is LESS HosPITABLE (By Robert S. Greenberger) LADISPOLI. ITALYTo thousands of Soviet Jews stranded in this sunny Mediterranean resort. life is a paradox. So long as the Soviet government refused to let them leave the U.S.S.R.. or Jailed them for asking to go. or kept them waiting years for a visa. the U.S. government considered them persecuted It automatically offered refugee statusand a ticket to Americato the few who trickled out. But last spring. the Soviets suddenly began issuing emigration permits by the thousand. And theres the catch. If so many Jews are being allowed to leave. then they arent necessarily persecuted. the U.S. government has declaredand they arent necessarily eligible to enter the U.S. as refugees. "The American government fought for us to leave." says Boris Levin. who arrived here in Ladispoli from Moscow In March. "Its very difficult for us to understand why America is now rejecting us." To U.S. policy makers the tide of Soviet Jews is becoming an unmanageable and embarrassing proLlem. and one that probably will get worse. This year. about 54.000 Jews are expected to leave the Soviet Union. and Alan Nelson. commissioner of the Immigration and Naturalization Service. says that the potential pool of Soviet refugees exceeds six millionincluding three million Armenians. 21/ million Jews and 800.000 Pentecostals.