Speech #1040109929

It establishes a series of procedures that will have the effect of deterring those with no legitimate claim of political asylum from ever venturing to the United States. Let me explain the key provisions of the bill. It seems to me that an individual who fears for his safety because he is suffering severe discrimination or lifethreatening treatment should be required to stop at the first country that would offer him "safe haven." But under the current law. these refugees most often choose to pass by the first country that could offer safe haven and continue their journey to the United States. Fifteen years and hundreds of thousands of claims for political asylum later has taught us that many of these individuals are not seeking a safe refuge that comes from political asylum. they are actually looking for the economic opportunities that America has to offer. Under my legislation. anyone who passes through another country that could offer a safe haven for political asylum would not be allowed to travel through to the United States and remain here while their claim is being adjudicated. Upon entering the U.S.. these asylum seekers would be sent back within hours to the country they passed through that would offer them political asylum. European countries have been following a similar course of action for many years. In 1990. The European Community convened the Dublin Convention to establish a uniform standard for examining applications for asylum seekers that travel through several countries. The purpose of the Convention was to ensure that an application was examined by only one Member State. ignoring the preferences of asylum seekers that results in "nation shopping." Members incorporated the "country of safe haven" principle which requires asylum requests to be reviewed by the first country which the applicant arrives in outside his country of origin. In July of 1993. Germany overhauled their asylum law. effectively reducing their monthly asylum application load from 37.000. after an explosion of asylum applications that increased from 20.000 in 1983 to 438.000 a decade later. Germanys asylum laws also include a "country of safe haven" provision making certain asylum applicants ineligible. Its time the United States follow the lead of the European Community and adopt the "first safe haven" approach. By doing so. we would eliminate the incentive for aliens to "nation shop." looking around for the country they be-