Immigration News: May, 2002 - Volume #9

NORTH AMERICA

INS: Organization, Sanctions
The US House of Representatives on April 25, 2002 voted 405-9 to break the INS into two separate bureaus

Muslims, 245(i), Airports
The US government is seeking to prevent future terrorist acts by interviewing US residents from Middle Eastern countries.

Housing, California
About 67 percent of native-born US heads of households owned their homes in 2000, while 47 percent of immigrant-headed households were homeowners.

Labor, Welfare, Census
The US unemployment ra386 immigrants settled in Canada, according to the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration

Mexico: Legalization, Labor
Mexico has stepped up its campaign to win legal status for some of the four million unauthorized Mexicans in the US.

Latin America
The Dominican Republic said it reduced the number of visas granted to Haitians from 7,000 to 3,000 a month.

ASIA

China, Hong Kong
The National People's Congress met in March 2002, and the major theme was the lagging incomes of 800 million farmers and rural residents.

Taiwan: Immigration, APEC
The Legislative Yuan's Home and Nations Committee passed the first reading of an amendment to the immigration law which offers easier access to permanent residency

Japan, Korea
In 2001, Tokyo's Metropolitan Police Department issued a brochure that said: "Call 110 when you think you have seen a Chinese."

Southeast Asia
In September-October 2001, some 565,000 migrants were registered with the Thai MOLSW, the first time that migrants in all sectors were allowed to be registered

EUROPE

France: Le Pen
Jean-Marie Le Pen will face President Jacques Chirac in the final round of France's presidential elections May 5, 2002 after winning 17 percent of the vote on April 21, 2002

EU: Muslims, Asylum, Labor
In a statement issued April 25, 2002, the EU strongly condemned racist attacks on foreigners and immigrants

UK: Laws, Chunnel, Asylum
Home Secretary David Blunkett issued a new package of immigration measures on April 12, 2002

Germany: Law, Labor
German President Johannes Rau is considering the landmark immigration bill approved in March 2002.

Spain, Italy
Some politicians are demanding action on immigration, fearing that a failure to address the issue will fuel extremism in the country.

Benelux, Northern Europe
Party Pim Fortuyn could win 18 of parliament's 150 seats in May 15, 2002 parliamentary elections, according to polls.

Russia, Eastern Europe
Russia has 144 million residents, including 10 million foreigners. Most of the foreigners are from ex-USSR republics, and most are not registered with the authorities.

OTHER

Australia: Tampa Inquiry, Asylum
The conservative government of Prime Minister John Howard was re-elected in November 2001, in part because it refused to allow foreigners headed to Australia from Indonesia in boats to land.

Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Israel
Saudi Arabia bars non-Muslims from being buried in Saudi Arabia, under the theory that burial in Saudi Arabia would encourage alien faiths.

South Africa, Uganda
Parliament began public hearings on the Immigration Bill, which the South African government has been working on for four years.