Speech #1010079027

Mr. President. the State Department has proposed drastic changes in its longstanding policy on refugee admissions from the Soviet Union. This policy change may. in effect. prevent thousands of individuals who live under the constant threat and fear of persecution because of their race and religious beliefs from emigrating to the United States. The State Department claims the new policy is based on budget reality. Such a policy change. I feel. is based on mistaken premises and Is illtimed. as it comes during a period of great instability and uncertainty in the Soviet Union. As a democratic people we should not shut our doors to those who have suffered and been persecuted. For the past two decades. the United States has demanded that Moscow allow those citizens who wish to emigrate to freedom to do so. We have pressed the Soviets to live up to their responsibilities as a world power and to start respecting the basic premises of human rights. Moreover. we have sought to leverage Soviet emigration by linking trade and credit to emigration performance through the JacksonVanik amendment (section 402. Trade Act of 1974). This amendment prohibits granting mostfavorednation EMFN] status or trade credits to any nonmarket country that denies its citizens the right and opportunity to emigrate as they choose. Throughout this period marked by sharp rises and falls in Soviet emigration numbers. the United States has remained steadfast in efforts to give Soviet emigres the freedom to determine where they choose to live. In the face of repeated suggestions by some to funnel Soviet Jews to Israel. the United States response has been that Soviet emigrants must have the freedom of choice. Until September 1988. Soviet Jews were almost automatically assumed to be refugees. Lawyers at the State Department and the Justice Department. however. concluded last year that such an assumption was improper. They insisted that Soviet applicants be more closely reviewed to see if they could demonstrate that they are victims of persecution or have a wellfounded fear of persecution. After applying moral pressure. stressing human rights. and promoting freedom throughout the world. the State Department has decided to continue this policy of turning its back on some who want to share the American dream that we expressly advocate. Where we once had an open door for peoples fleeing the tyranny and oppression of Communist regimes. we are battening down the hatches. So long as the Soviet Government refused to let these individuals leave. or jailed them for asking to go. or kept them waiting for a visa. made them dissidents and refuseniks. the U.S. Government considered them persecuted. It automatically offered refugee status under those circumstances. Now. due to Mikhail Gorbachevs move toward openness and restructuring. and perhaps somewhat influenced by our moral suasion and humanitarian appeals. the Soviets are granting exit visas by the thousands. Yet the conditions in the Soviet Union remain bleak. The inability to practice and teach religion openly in the Soviet Union remains a reality.