>>From: <[log in to unmask]>
>> Update on Refugee, and TPS Programs
>>
>>A. REFUGEE PROGRAM
>>
>> 1. Priority 3 (P-3)
>> · The US Department of State (DoS) advises that as of December
1,'99, nationals of the following African countries will be eligible
>>for
>> Priority Three processing (in FY-2000):
>>
>> ANGOLA, BURUNDI, CONGO (BRAZZAVILLE), CONGO (DROC), ERITREA,
>>ETHIOPIA,
>> GUINEA BISSAU, RWANDA, SIERRA LEONE, SOMALIA, SUDAN, AND TOGO.
>>
>> SOMALIA remains on the list, but, filing of new affidavits will
>>be
>> suspended in FY-2000 until a backlog (of about 40,000+ P-3
>> applications) is addressed, and the situation in the region is
>> reviewed.
>>
>> (Eligible for P-3 processing are: spouses, unmarried sons,
>>unmarried
>> daughters, and parents of persons lawfully admitted to the U.S.
>>as
>> permanent resident aliens, refugees, asylees, conditional
>>residents,
>> and certain parolees;
>> unmarried sons and daughters of U.S. citizens, and parents of
>>U.S.
>> citizens under the age of 21).
>>
>> · The following countries are being dropped/suspended from the
>>list of
>> countries under consideration for P-3 refugee status:
>>
>> CAMEROON, CHAD, DJIBOUTI, LIBERIA, NIGERIA, SOMALIA,
>> AND UGANDA.
>>
>> IMPORTANT
>> ALL affidavits of relationship (AORs) ALREADY FILED FOR
>>NATIONALS OF
>> THESE (suspended/dropped) COUNTRIES MUST BE NOTARIZED AND
>>POSTMARKED
>> BEFORE DECEMBER 1, 1999, IN ORDER TO BE CONSIDERED.
>>
>> · The DoS emphasizes that ALL AORs which were filed on time, and
>>which
>> met FY-99 conditions will continue to be processed in FY-2000.
>>AORs
>> are processed as received by the Joint Voluntary Agency (JVA) in
>> Nairobi, Kenya.
>>
>> 2. Priority 2 (P-2)
>> · Specially crafted P-2 (giving special preference for
>>resettlement in
>> countries [US included] other than home) is in effect for the
>> following groups:
>>
>> 1. The Ogoni people of Nigeria, residing (since September 1997)
>>in
>> refugee camps in Benin;
>> 2. Hutus, and Tutsis, residing in refugee camps in Tanzania;
>> 3. Togolese ex-military personnel, who now favor democracy.
>>
>> 3. Priority 1 (for persons identified by US Embassy staff, or
>>referred by
>> UNHCR staff), still serves as the only priority for which anyone
>>can
>> apply, and which has no expiration date.
>> ________________
>>
>> 4. Priority 4 ( for married sons and daughters, siblings,
>>grandparents,
>> and grandchildren of U.S. citizens and persons legally admitted
>>to the
>> U.S. as permanent resident aliens, refugees, asylees,
>>conditional
>> residents and certain parolees)
>> and
>> 5. Priority 5 (for aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, and first
>>cousins of
>> U.S. citizens and persons lawfully admitted to the U.S. as
>>permanent
>> resident aliens, refugees, asylees, conditional residents and
>>certain
>> parolees)
>>
>> have not been granted to any country for fiscal year 2000.
>>
>> · Although a refugee may meet the stipulated criteria, the
>>existence of
>> the U.S. refugee admissions program does not create any
>>entitlement
>> for that person to be admitted to the United States. The
>>admissions
>> program is a legal mechanism for admitting refugees who are
>>among
>> those classes of persons of particular interest to the United
>>States.
>> Applicants who meet the criteria, and who fall within the
>>priorities
>> established for the relevant nationality or region, are
>>presented to
>> the INS for determination of eligibility for admission under
>>Section
>> IO1 (a)(42) of the INA.
>>
>> · Factors weighing most heavily on the decision to include a
>>country on
>>the priority list were:
>> A. the existence of a country?s ongoing conflict - - producing
>>flows
>> of refugees;
>> B. a residual population of refugees after repatriation was
>>largely
>> complete.
>>
>>B. TEMPORARY PROTECTED STATUS (TPS) for Sierra Leone
>> No change, so far, in the Department of Justice's (DoJ's) stance
>>since
>> Friends of Sierra Leone's (FoSL's) June update. In a matter of days,
>>we
>> will learn of the Department's final outcome on the following 2
>>issues:
>> i. re-designating TPS to include Sierra Leoneans, who arrived in
>>the US
>> after the cut-off date of November 3, 1997,
>> and
>> ii. extending (for 1 year[?]) TPS for those whose current status
>>expires
>> on November 3, 1999.
>>
>> FoSL is very much aware of the looming (November 3rd, '99) deadline,
>>and is
>> awaiting a positive outcome.
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