in migration

Islands ahead in migration law changes

Sweeping citizenship and immigration policy changes have been adopted in five of the six US-related Pacific territories.

Mostly, the changes are those advocated by island govern ments and are of benefit to individual islanders.

The changes result from a series of unrelated actions by the mainland Congress and ex ecutive.

A major impetus for change was the formal announcements of the long-negotiated covenant with the Northern Marianas, and the Compacts of Free association with the Marshalls and the Federated States of Micronesia.

And while the arrangements were still before the UN, the mainland administration went ahead with the new citizenship and immigration arrangements.

This is in keeping with the US position that the UN has nothing to say on the issue.

The most dramatic outcome was that, on November 3, some 17,000 CNMI people became US citizens. They had previous ly been Trust Territory citizens “with the full rights of US citizens” although that status had accompanying problems namely their passports which were relatively rare in world travel and were not always instantly recognised by im migration officials.

Marianas islanders travelling to the mainland usually have to clear immigration at Hawaii where, sometimes, government personnel did not treat them “with the full rights of US citizens. ”

The governor of the islands, himself, is said to have had difficulties in that regard.

Now the residents of the Marianas are fully fledged US citizens and a team of mainland officials has already visited

Saipan to process passport applications.

People of the FSM and the Marshall Islands, meanwhile, became citizens of their respec tive states.

The US solved the potentially difficult problem of post-self government immigration in one swoop. FSM and Marshalls people can now migrate to the mainland regardless of the nor mal procedures.

When, and if, Palau works out its compact, its residents also will have that right.

Residents of Guam, Amer ican Samoa and, of course, the Marianas can also migrate at will.

In the Marianas, in particular, some problems remain. The islands previously had their own immigration service run by a small staff.

But the mainland immigra tion officials are known to be more concerned than their is land counterparts about the presence in the islands of illegal aliens and short term contract workers. For this reason main land officials are anxious to assert their authority though the timing of this is still under discussion.

Apart from the immigration “spin offs” there are four other unrelated developments:. Alien seamen on fishing boats visiting Guam now have Congressional approval to land on the island;.

There is a strong prospect that, despite opposition from the mainland immigration service, some tourists without visas will be able to visit Guam a victory for island interests.. A mainland-oriented law will make it illegal for Guam (and presumably Marianas) em ployers to hire illegal aliens.

This is currently not against mainland law; Some 400 American Samoan residents may qualify as US nationals

(September PIM). Under a Bill proposed by Congressman Fofo Sunia those people bom to one US national parent out side the US or American Samoa will be able to apply for national status which is only slightly different from citizen status.

The new rule on visiting fishermen, sponsored by Con gressman Ben Blaz was easy.

In the past alien sailors on visiting tuna boats at San Diego on the mainland had over stayed their visas and the Im migration Department moved to stop this. Unfortunately and typically the new rules had universal application and denied visiting sailors the right to land on Guam.

Blaz argued successfully that while foreign sailors might “jump ship” in San Diego they were far less likely to do so in Guam.

Some 40 tuna boats are likely to be affected. The money the crews bring to the island is useful for the local economy.

Far more difficult to achieve was the visa waiver for tourists.

Both Blaz and his Democratic predecessor Won Pat have worked hard on this.

Tourism is vital to the Guam economy. Most of the tourists are Japanese, often honeymooners, and they have little difficulty in securing visas from US consular officials.

However, Guam is anxious to expand its tourism base in Asia while US officials have been less willing to grant visas to Taiwanese, Koreans and Fili pinos, to name but a few, for fear of visa abuse. Guam wanted free access for tourists.

Mainland officials did not Won Pat, then in a tough battle to beat the man who eventually replaced him, Blaz, went to the floor of the House