Mr. Speaker. I urge your support for the motion to instruct conferees to agree to the Armstrong amendment to H.R. 2712. the Emergency Chinese Immigration Relief Act. that would allow nationals of the Peoples Republic of China who fear persecution under Chinas population control policy to apply for refugee status and asylum in the United States. Under the 1980 Refugee Act. foreigners are entitled to sanctuary in the United States if they can demonstrate "a wellfounded fear of persecution" based on race. religion. nationality. membership in particular social group. or political opinion. Chinas population control policy barring families from having more than one child is strictly enforced. often by forced abortions and sterilizations. The PRC views defiance of this policy as an act of political dissent. The United States Justice Department has noted that pursuant to our laws definition of "refugee." a finding of the requisite "wellfounded fear of persecution" under Chinas population control policy is reasonable and constitutes persecution for "political opinion." The Armstrong amendment would require the Secretary of State and the Attorney Gen. eral to promulgate regulations and guidelines that would require asylum and refugee to give the adjudicators Fullest possible consideration to applications from nationals of the PRC who express fear of persecution upon return to that country because they refuse to abort a pregnancy or resist sterilization in violation of Chinese Communist Party directives on population* *0. As originally passed by the House. the bills provisions seek to protect from persecution Chinese nationals studying in the United States who support the prodemocracy movement in the Peoples Republic of China which call for greater freedoms in that country. It is appropriate that Chinese nationals who defy the Peoples Republic of China coercive. antidemocratic family planning controls be allowed to apply for asylum in the United States.
Keywords matched
Immigration Refugee refugee