By Salem Solomon
The United States plans to stop issuing visas to citizens from four countries that it says aren’t accepting deported citizens.
The list includes
three African countries — Eritrea, Guinea and Sierra Leone — as well as
Cambodia. The U.S. has suspended visas twice before under previous
administrations in efforts to push deportations forward.
Last week, the
Department of Homeland Security notified the Department of State that
the four countries are refusing to accept or are unreasonably delaying
the acceptance of nationals deemed to be in the United States illegally,
a violation of section 243(d) of the Immigration and Nationality Act.
Now, the State Department is evaluating how to implement the order.
In the past, visa
suspensions have targeted diplomats and government officials. How many
people this suspension will affect has not yet been determined.
“We follow a
standard process to implement a visa suspension as expeditiously as
possible in the manner the secretary determines most appropriate under
the circumstances to achieve the desired goal. That process includes
internal discussions with, and official notification to, affected
countries,” a State Department official said in an email to VOA.
Targeted countries react
Mamady Condé,
Guinea’s ambassador to the United States, told VOA’s French to Africa
service by phone that his office has not yet received an official
notification, and he learned of the news through the media. He said 75
Guineans have been deported, but he did not specify in what time period.
He added that about 2,000 Guineans live in the United States illegally.
Bockarie Kortu
Stevens, Sierra Leone’s ambassador to the U.S., said his country has
cooperated with all deportation orders. Since January, he said, two
charter flights operated by the United States have returned 30 to 40
Sierra Leonean nationals.
“They put them
together with [deportees from] other countries, and then they take them
to Sierra Leone, and we have been cooperating with them,” Stevens told
VOA.
Sierra Leonean
embassy officials said they go to holding cells to interview people
slated for deportation to confirm their nationalities.
“Once they've been
identified as bona fide Sierra Leoneans, we issue the relevant travel
documents, and it’s up to the United States authorities to affect the
deportations,” Stevens said.
He rejected the
notion that many or most Sierra Leoneans are in the United States
illegally. According to the State Department, 46 Sierra Leoneans have
received deportation orders this year, including 22 criminal
deportations. Most deportees have committed drug crimes, Stevens said.
“Of course, like
with any society, you have people who want to bend the rules. So, those
who bend the rules, they face the consequences," he said. "But the
majority of Sierra Leoneans are law abiding, and many of them who came
here as a result of the war are fully integrated into an American
society."
According to Census data, about 49,000 Sierra Leoneans live in the United States.
Eritrean officials in Washington, D.C., and Asmara did not respond to interview requests from VOA’s Tigrigna service.
Cracking down on violent crime
So far this year,
the U.S. has ordered the deportations of 117 Eritreans, 88 Guineans and
27 Cambodians, according to State Department figures.
But that’s just a
fraction of the total deportation orders issued, including more than
28,000 Mexicans who have received deportation orders.
Cracking down on
illegal immigration was a signature issue of Donald Trump’s campaign and
is now of his administration. By instituting visa suspensions, the
United States hopes to deport individuals convicted of violent crimes.
Most foreign
nationals designated for deportation or issued a removal order, however,
were not convicted of criminal offenses, and most criminal deportees
are nonviolent.
In 2015, more than
60 percent of foreign nationals removed for criminal offenses committed
immigration, dangerous drug or traffic offense crimes, according to
Homeland Security figures.
Comments
Post a Comment