Speech #1030124909

Mr. DAMATO. and Mr. BYRD) proposed an amendment to the bill S. 1281. supra. as follows: At the appropriate place. insert the following: (a) FINDINGS.-The Congress finds that(1) in the last decade applications for asylum have greatly exceeded the original 5.000 annual limit provided in the Refugee Act of 1980. with more than 150.000 asylum applications filed in FY 93. and the backlog of cases growing to the current level of 355.000. (2) this flood of asylum claims has swamped the system. creating delays in the processing of applications of up to several years. (3) the delay in processing asylum claims due to the overwhelming numbers has contributed to numerous problems. including: (A) an abuse of the asylum laws by fraudulent applicants whose primary interest is obtaining work authority in the United States while their claim languishes in the backlogged asylum processing system. (B) the growth of alien smuggling operations. often involving organized crime. (C) a drain on limited resources resulting from the high cost of processing frivolous asylum claims through our multilayered system. and (D) an erosion of public support for asylum. (4) Asylum. a safe haven protection for aliens abroad who cannot return home. has been perverted by some aliens who use asylum claims to circumvent our immigration and refugee laws and procedures. (5) a comprehensive revision of our asylum law and procedures is required to address these problems. (b) POLICY.-It is the sense of the Congress that(1) asylum is a process intended to protect certain aliens In the United States who. because of events occurring after their arrival here. cannot safely return home. (2) persons outside their country of nationality who have a wellfounded fear of persecution if they return should apply for refugee status with the local UNHCR. or other relevant international organization. office or at one of our refugee processing centers abroad. if possible. (3) the immigration. refugee and asylum laws of the United States should be reformed to provide: (A) a procedure for the expeditious exclusion of asylum applicants who arrive at a portofentry with fraudulent documents. or no documents. and make a noncredible claim of asylum. and (B) the immigration. refugee. and asylum laws of the United States should be reformed to provide for a streamlined affirmative asylum processing system for asylum applicants who make their application after they have entered the United States.