Religious emigration is closing!

· On Emigration, Denunciations, Vestibule, Refugee Status

Boris Perchatkin was ill and underwent a serious operation. For two years, the work on monitoring religious freedom in the territory of the former USSR was interrupted. Nobody compiled an overview of the state of religion in the former USSR. Nobody submitted reports on religious persecution to the US government. The religious mafia — represented by Bondaruk, Kotyakov, Saenko, Limonchenko, Radchuk and their ilk — achieved their goal. And your “pastors,” under the watchful supervision of the aforementioned comrades, cut off Boris Perchatkin’s access to all churches in America. Thereby cutting off funding for human rights Christian activity, which they shamelessly brand “politics,” and Boris Perchatkin an “anti-Soviet.” And this here, in the most anti-Soviet country in the world — the USA. Although all of them, including you, ended up in the USA thanks to this “politics.”
And now, thanks to your collective indifference, the Lautenberg Amendment expires on June 1, 2011.
But the Jews have a chance and you can be at ease about them — they won’t be cut off!
But is there a chance for you?

Speaking at a press conference on the Russian-language radio station “Davidzon” in Brooklyn, attorney and vice president of the charitable organization the Society for Helping Jewish Immigrants (HIAS) Mark Hetfield noted that the reason for this was the position of the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, Congressman Lamar Smith, a Republican from Texas, who advocates restricting immigration to the United States. As Hetfield explained to a Voice of America Russian Service correspondent, Congressman Smith opposes “granting privileges to certain groups of the population.”

June 1, 2011, marks the expiration of the “Lautenberg Amendment.” The “Lautenberg Amendment,” which allows certain population groups in the former Soviet Union and Iran to obtain refugee status in the United States, expires on June 1, 2011.

This means that applications from persons intending to obtain such status under the “Lautenberg Amendment” must be received by US embassies in Moscow or Vienna by that deadline.

Today, the “Lautenberg Amendment” covers Jews, evangelical Christians, and certain representatives of the Ukrainian Orthodox and Catholic churches residing in the territory of the former USSR, as well as religious minorities in Iran: Christians, Jews, Baha’is, and Zoroastrians.

The “Lautenberg Amendment” is named after its author, Democratic Senator Frank Lautenberg of New Jersey. He introduced the bill in 1989 to facilitate the immigration to the United States of refugees who were persecuted in their homeland for their religious and political views, or for their ethnicity. Signed by President George Bush, the amendment not only designated entire groups of the population eligible for refugee status, but also for the first time in the history of American immigration law allowed these people to seek such status while still in their homeland. Under the “Lautenberg Amendment,” refugee status can be obtained by providing the US embassy with convincing evidence that the applicant fears for their life or freedom due to membership in a particular social or religious group.

Despite the fact that the amendment has been in effect for over 20 years, it has never had the status of a permanent law. Congress must renew the amendment as its term expires. Since 1990, Congress has annually included the “Lautenberg Amendment” in the bill providing funding for the US Department of State. However, this year the federal budget, passed by Congress with great delay due to serious disagreements between Democrats and Republicans, for the first time in 20 years extends the “Lautenberg Amendment” only until June 1, 2011, rather than for the entire fiscal year.

“He believes that Jews and evangelical Christians from the former USSR and religious minorities in Iran should be subject to the same standards as other persons claiming refugee status,” Hetfield explained.

In a statement by Congressman Smith published by the popular outlet “Politico,” it is noted that “the persecution of religious minorities is unacceptable” and that Congress should address this issue, but not as part of the budget process, as has been done since 1990, but separately.

“Since the Constitution obligates Congress to determine the country’s immigration policy, I plan to hold hearings later this year on the refugee program, including the ‘Lautenberg Amendment,’” the congressman’s statement says.

However, human rights activists, Jewish and Christian organizations fear that the “Lautenberg Amendment” will not be extended. Mark Hetfield said that HIAS will continue to lobby Congress, but added that “today there is a completely different political climate than in 1989.”

Hetfield acknowledged that conditions in the former Soviet Union have also changed significantly since 1989. According to his data, while in 1992 about 42,000 refugees from the former USSR entered the United States under the “Lautenberg Amendment,” in 2010 only 181 people did so.

“These numbers could be an argument in favor of not renewing the amendment,” Hetfield told the Voice of America correspondent. “At the same time, the opposite can also be argued: the low number of refugees from the former USSR has virtually no effect on the total number of refugees in the United States, and therefore the amendment should be retained in case of a sharp deterioration of the situation.”

Since 2003, the main focus of the “Lautenberg Amendment” has shifted to Iran. Currently, applications of at least 688 citizens of that country are pending before US immigration authorities.

As Marina Belotserkovskaya, director of the “Russian” department of HIAS, reported, in the former Soviet Union, Jews and evangelical Christians who have direct relatives in the United States—that is, parents, spouse, children, siblings, grandparents, and grandchildren—are entitled to apply for refugee status under the “Lautenberg Amendment.” Applications must be received by the US embassy in Moscow no later than June 1.

Mikhail Gutkin | New York

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