Speech #1100109352

Senators SMITH. LIEBERMAN. DURBIN and I offer this amendment to grant Iraqi and Afghan special immigrant visa holders 6 months of eligibility for resettlement assistance when they arrive here in the United States. The United States currently provides up to 500 special immigrant visas. SIVs. to translators from Iraq and Afghanistan. To be eligible for an SIV. an individual from either of those two countries must: (1) faithfully serve as a translator with the U.S. military or chief of mission for at least a year and (2) be recommended to the program by a general. flag officer. or chief of mission. Visas are also issued for the spouse and dependent children of the SIV applicant. According to the Department of State. the U.S. issued 823 special immigrant visas to Iraqis this year. This included 432 visas for principal applicants and 391 visas for family members. As a matter of course. immigrants who come to the United States through the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program. including Iraqis and Afghans. are eligible for travel loans to help them get to the United States and for resettlement assistance once they arrive here. As a matter of course. the Federal Government tries to ensure that refugees are able to make the transition to a productive life in the United States by providing preliminary housing. school enrollment. and job training assistance. In spite of their service to our country. however. individuals from Iraq and Afghanistan who come here on Special Immigrant Visas receive no help with travel or readjustment. The U.S. Government does not keep track of how many of the 823 Iraqis admitted into this program actually have been able to travel to the United States. Experts believe that many translators with SIVs are still trapped in the region because they cannot afford the cost of the SIV fees and the plane tickets. especially if they are bringing members of their immediate family. Like refugees. many Iraqi and Afghan special immigrants face hardships that make it difficult to immediately adapt to their new home. Many have been forced to leave their homes and all their personal wealth in Iraq. Many have been forced to pay ransoms or have been robbed by criminals while fleeing the country.