Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 101 Part 2.djvu/383

 PUBLIC LAW 100-202—DEC. 22, 1987

101 STAT. 1329-40

date of enactment of this Act, consular officer of the Department of State and appropriate officers of the Immigration and Naturalization Service shall, in accordance with the procedures applicable to such cases in other countries, process any application for admission to the United States as a refugee from any Cuban national who was imprisoned for political reasons by the Government of Cuba on or after January 1, 1959, without regard to the duration of such imprisonment, except as may be necessary to reassure the orderly process of available applicants. (b) PROCESSING OF IMMIGRANT VISA APPLICATIONS OF CUBAN NATIONALS IN THIRD COUNTRIES.—Notwithstanding section 212(f)

and section 243(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, on and after the date of the enactment of this Act, consular officers of the Department of State shall process immigrant visa applications by nationals of Cuba located in third countries on the same basis as immigrant visa applications by nationals of other countries. (c) DEFINITIONS.—For purposes of this section: (1) The term "process" means the acceptance and review of applications and the preparation of necessary documents and the making of appropriate determinations with respect to such applications. (2) The term "refugee" has the meaning given such term in section 101(a)(42) of the Immigration and Nationality Act. TITLE VIII—INDOCHINESE REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT AND PROTECTION ACT OF 1987 SEC. 801. This title may be cited as the "Indochinese Refugee Resettlement and Protection Act of 1987". SEC. 802. (a) FINDINGS.—It is the sense of the Congress that— (1) the continued occupation of Cambodia by Vietnam and the oppressive conditions within Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos have led to a steady flight of persons from those countries, and the likelihood for the safe repatriation of the hundreds of thousands of refugees in the region's camps is negligible for the foreseeable future; (2) the United States has already played a major role in responding to the Indochinese refugee problem by accepting approximately 850,000 Indochinese refugees into the United States since 1975 and has a continued interest in persons who have fled and continue to flee the countries of Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam; (3) Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, and Thailand have been the front line countries bearing tremendous burdens caused by the flight of these persons; (4) all members of the international community bear a share of the responsibility for the deterioration in the refugee first asylum situation in Southeast Asia because of slow and limited procedures, failure to implement effective policies for the region's "long-stayer" populations, failure to monitor adequately refugee protection and screening programs, particularly along the Thai-Cambodian and Thai-Laotian borders, and the instability of the Orderly Departure Program (ODP) from Vietnam which has served as the only safe, legal means of departure from Vietnam for refugees, including Amerasians and long-held "reeducation camp" prisoners;

Indochinese Refugee Resettlement and Protection Act of 1987.

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