Soviet-era plan benefits unoppressed immigrants

VANCOUVER: A growing number of Ukrainians have streamed into the United States in recent months even as the Trump administration has closed the door on other refugees.

What distinguishes them from other immigrants is a programme created nearly three decades ago to benefit those who suffered from religious persecution in the Soviet Union.

There is far more religious freedom in their countries now. But while refugee camps in several continents swell with families escaping Islamic fundamentalists and bloody civil war, the ex-Soviets still enjoy a favoured status when applying to come to the US.

They have become an example of how federal law is slow to adapt to changing circumstances. This is especially true in immigration, where a lack of consensus has thwarted attempts to address the status of immigrants in the country illegally and tackle per ceived abuses in visa programmes for tech workers and investors.

Bill Frelick, refugee director of Human Rights Watch, called the programme for the ex-Soviets, known as the Lautenberg Amendment, a “Cold War anachronism”.

In response to questions, US Citizenship and Immigration Services described the surge in Ukrainian arrivals as “unrelated to the executive orders” on travel issued by President Donald Trump. NYT