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Administration Actions:
o Present legislation and policies permit this two-track approach, although historically refugee processing has been the preferred track.
o The interagency working group which examined the Panel recommendations suggested a new processing approach which would include refugees, beneficiaries of current immigrant visa petitions and Visas 93, individuals who would eventually become beneficiaries of immigrant visa
petitions, and those for whom other durable solutions would be appropriate.
o Public education and outreach programs have begun through government and voluntary agencies to explain the immigrant visa process and to assist in the preparation of the necessary papers.
o INS is reviewing its current policy which requires that Indochinese who qualify for both immigrant and refugee status be permitted to select the one under which they wish to enter the US. This review is aimed at encouraging expanded use of the immigrant visa channel for Indochinese.
2. Persons now in the first asylum camps should not be adversely affected by this restructuring. Existing processing criteria should, in general, continue to be applied to those who arrived in first asylum prior to announcement of changes.
3.
Administration Actions:
o Refugees now in first asylum camps would continue to be processed under current guidelines. The future status of new arrivals is under consideration.
Refugee admissions should continue to be generally available for those reaching first asylum, or in their country of origin, who have a well-founded fear of persecution as described in the refugee definition, regardless of their location, date of arrival, family relations, or other criteria of eligibility. For example, refugees newly arrived in first asylum who have relatives in the United States should be admitted as refugees rather than as immigrants as long as they qualify as refugees under the law. Adequate admissions numbers should be authorized in the annual consultations to provide for such genuine refugees.
Administration Actions:
o Under proposals for a modified processing system now under consideration, it is expected that the refugee program will continue to have adequate numbers for those refugees meeting the definition.