Mr. Speaker. Congress must take the lead now to delay the repatriation of Haitian refugees. Congress must pass H.R. 3844. which cleared the House of Representatives on February 27. 1992. The Bush administration has sent thousands of Haitian refugees back to their country to meet persecution. Clearly. this policy is wrong and immoral. We cannot force these refugees into an uncertain end dangerous future. This breaks the rules of political asylum and world refugee procedures. We have to ask. "Would the treatment of these people be any different if they had been fleeing a Communist regime in Eastern Europe or if they were trying to get out of Cuba?" The administrations policy sends the message that these people arent Important enough. that they are too poor. and that they are not from an Influential part of the world. But I disagree. The refugees are important. and they are suffering. 2.000 people are being returned each week. At this rate. all refugees will be returned within 2 weeks. but this wont solve the problem. These Haitians are yearning to breathe free. as everyone did who landed on these shores. But the words on the inscription at the base of the Statue of Liberty apparently do not apply to Haitians. With passage of this bill. the House is asking for time. time for things to settle down. This is the least the refugees could hope for. Unfortunately. I was called away to Philadelphia.
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refugee refugees