[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 81 (Wednesday, June 9, 1999)]
[House]
[Page H3999]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 INTRODUCTION OF LEGISLATION REGARDING ALIENS FROM ALBANIA, MACEDONIA 
                             AND MONTENEGRO

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Tancredo). Under a previous order of the 
House, the gentlewoman from Illinois (Mrs. Biggert) is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Mrs. BIGGERT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce a bill that will 
lighten the heavy burden placed on our allies in the Balkans. Over the 
past 9 weeks, over 780,000 refugees have flooded into Albania, 
Macedonia and Montenegro, putting overwhelming pressures on already 
strained humanitarian services. I recently visited these countries and 
saw firsthand the growing number of refugees and the demands on social 
services, government workers and relief agencies attempting to feed, 
clothe and house refugees with nowhere else to turn. As a Nation, we 
have appealed to these countries to keep their borders open to the 
Kosovar refugees. We have increased our humanitarian aid, pledged to 
admit 20,000 refugees into the United States, and already welcomed 
3,000 of them into our country. In fact, volunteers for a relief agency 
in my district, World Relief in Wheaton, have welcomed 54 refugees into 
their homes. Yet as we are opening our homes to refugees from camps in 
Macedonia, Albania and Montenegro, we are preparing to send back to 
them aliens who have been residing peacefully in the United States. 
Indeed, the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service continues to 
detain for deportation aliens from these countries. One of my 
constituents in Illinois has been interned for purposes of deportation 
since last March.
  Mr. Speaker, I believe that this policy should be revised to reflect 
the current realities of the situation in the Balkans. Clearly there 
are extraordinary conditions that prevent aliens from returning to 
these republics at this time. My legislation, cosponsored by seven of 
my colleagues from both sides of the aisle, will designate temporary 
protected status for aliens from the Republics of Albania and 
Montenegro and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. The U.S. has 
already extended such protection to aliens from Kosovo. I believe that 
it must also be extended to these other hard-pressed republics.
  In my view, this would not only serve the best interests of the 
United States, it would also signal to our friends in the region our 
firm commitment to easing the overwhelming humanitarian challenges that 
face them.
  Mr. Speaker, I wrote to the Attorney General and the Secretary of 
State urging that TPS be designated for aliens from these countries. 
The administration has yet to take action on my recommendation. As the 
stability of our friends in the Balkans is of paramount importance to 
the success of our Nation's mission, I believe Congress must act.
  I thank my colleagues who join with me today in support of this bill. 
I urge the House to act quickly on this legislation to show our strong 
commitment to the continued well-being of our friends in the Balkans.

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