Mr. Speaker. I. like many people across this Nation. am concerned with the plight of Haitian refugees. This situation clearly requires us. as a government. to make the determination between those Haitian refugees fleeing economic hardship and refugees escaping political persecution. The Haitian Refugee Protection Act does not make this determination. Evidence clearly shows that a large majority of refugees fleeing Haiti are escaping economic hardship. Refugees are not making the easier and safer overland trip to the Dominican Republic. Many of thqse interdicted asked to return to Haiti when they discovered they would not be permitted to go the United States. The United States has already provided 4.800 Haitian refugees with the opportunity to seek political asylum. Suspending return of interdicted Haitian refugees for another 6 months sends a dangerous message from the U.S. Government encouraging Haitians to make a treacherous and unsafe 700mile voyage. The bill is unfair and unnecessary. Economic hardship is not an automatic right to enter the United States. It is not fair for the people of Florida to have to shoulder the burden of refugees entering the United States because of poverty when we are faced with enough economic hardship on our own shores.
Keywords matched
Refugees Refugee refugees