Speech #1010073915

Mr. President. last Friday the Judiciary Committee conducted hearings on the Presidents proposals for refugee admissions for the coming fiscal year. It was apparent from that hearing that we are at a turning point when it comes to the many refugees now able to depart from the Soviet Union. After years of our pounding on the Kremlin door. the Soviet Union is now issuing exit visas in unprecedented numbers. In 1990. over 100.000 Soviet citizens are expected to be able to departa tribute to our countrys efforts over the past decade. Mr. President. the administration is proposing to increase the number of refugees we accept for resettlement worldwide from the 1989 level of 116.500 to 125.000 for 1990. Within that number. 50.000 would be from the Soviet Unionup from 43.500 in 1989. which is approximately double the number in 1988. It is my belief that over the course of this year we must find ways of doing even more. given the numbers now able to depart. And we should continue to join with Israel and other free nations in offering haven for those so long oppressed. However. the administration states that its funding request. which is fully funded under this bill. is $58 million short of what is actually needed to move 125.000 refugees to the United States. And an additional amount of at least $60 million is required for the Department of Health and Human Services to cover domestic costs. At the same time. the administration is planning major changes in the processing of Soviet refugees. For years. those fleeing the Soviet Union to the United States have only been able to do so under the guise of immigrating to Israel. So we processed Soviet refugees in Rome. However. direct departures from Moscow to the United States are now possible. The administration is moving ahead to phase out the United States office in Rome and move our refugee operation into the American Embassy in Moscow. There are many issues to be resolved before this new system can be considered viable. For example. almost half of the Soviet Jews now applying in Rome are rejected for admission to the United States as refugeesthis despite the long and wellknown history of persecution of Jews in the Soviet Union. Procedures need to be developed to ensure that interviews by our consular and immigration officers are confidential. And arrangements must be finalized to permit sufficient staffing by both the American Embassy and voluntary agencies to cope with the caseload. Until these and other similar matters are adequately addressed. it is my view that the processing through Rome must not be phased out too precipitously. Mr. President. the Senator from New Jersey and I have an amendment which we believe will assist in this transitional period. First. it provides clear standards for the handling of Soviet refugee applications both in Rome and Moscow. This will ensure a fair adjudication for the 17.000 Soviet emigres now in Rome and applying for our refugee program. But equally important. it will establish clear guidelines for the handling of refugee applications under the new Moscow procedure. Second. the amendment provides a mechanism for congressional review of the Moscow transition. It requires the GAO to monitor not only the phasing down of the Rome operation. but also the new Moscow procedure.