Text: INS Commissioner July 6 Remarks in Fuzhou on Alien Smuggling
(Fujian officials have made strides in combating smuggling)Fujian Provincial Government officials have made great strides in combating the problem of alien smuggling, according to Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) Commissioner Doris Meissner.
Fujian Chinese, more than any other regional group in China, attempt to immigrate illegally using criminal smuggling networks. But recent U.S.-Chinese anti-smuggling efforts have enjoyed success, she said.
Meissner noted that earlier this year the Fujian Provincial Border Control hosted a training program in fraudulent document detection. "For the first time, officers from our (INS) Carrier Affairs Office traveled to China to provide training in an area that is a critical part of successful anti-smuggling efforts," the Commissioner said. "The program was highly successful, with more than 70 people receiving training."
Meissner also pointed out that U.S.-Chinese cooperative efforts have produced a "dramatic decline" in the number of smuggling vessels intercepted by the U.S. Coast Guard.
Last year, she said, the U.S. Coast Guard intercepted six ships near Guam, carrying hundreds of migrants destined for the United States. "So far this year, we haven't intercepted any ships involved in large-scale smuggling operations," she said. "This extremely positive change is not only attributable to our joint efforts; it also reflects Fujian Provincial Border Control's vigorous enforcement of Chinese anti-smuggling laws."
Following is the text of Meissner's remarks, as prepared for delivery:
(begin text)
Remarks of Commissioner Meissner
Press Conference on Migrant Trafficking
Fuzhou, China
July 6, 2000Good afternoon. I am very pleased that on my first trip to China I have this opportunity to visit Fuzhou and express in person my appreciation to local law enforcement officials for the invaluable assistance they have provided the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service in the fight against migrant trafficking.
I'd like to begin by thanking the Ministry of Public Security, the Foreign Affairs Office of the Fujian Provincial Government, and the American Consul General in Guangzhou for making this public forum possible.
In 1997, the INS established 14 new offices overseas as part of Operation Global Reach, a worldwide initiative developed in recognition of the fact that criminal activities associated with migration do not begin at our border. Global Reach is designed to build partnerships with our host countries in order to solve the common problems we face, especially large-scale, migrant-smuggling operations. No partnership has been more productive than those we've developed through our new offices in Beijing and Guangzhou, and some of our best successes have come as a result of the cooperation our office in Guangzhou has received from officials here in Fuzhou. I'd like to highlight a few of them.
In January, INS repatriated 249 U.S.-bound migrants, who had been intercepted off the coast of Guatemala, directly to Fuzhou. This was the fifth group of migrants we repatriated to Fuzhou since our first repatriation flight last June. To date, our cooperative efforts have resulted in the repatriation of some 1,000 migrants. It is unlikely that any would have been repatriated without the effective partnership built by our officers in Guangzhou and local officials.
Earlier this year, this partnership led Fujian Provincial Border Control to host a training program in fraudulent document detection. For the first time, officers from our Carrier Affairs Office traveled to China to provide training in an area that is a critical part of successful anti-smuggling efforts. The program was highly successful, with more than 70 people receiving training.
Another indication of the positive impact our cooperation has had is the fact that combating alien smuggling was one of the top items on the agenda when Chinese and U.S. officials met in Beijing last month for the third session of the Joint Liaison Group on Law Enforcement. I was pleased to hear that at that meeting INS officers and representatives from the Ministry of Public Security discussed specific proposals for increased information sharing and coordination.
Perhaps the best measure of how effective our cooperative efforts have been is the dramatic decline in the number of smuggling vessels we have intercepted with large numbers of migrants aboard. At just about this time last year, the U.S. Coast Guard intercepted six ships near Guam, carrying hundreds of migrants destined for the United States. So far this year, we haven't intercepted any ships involved in large-scale smuggling operations. This extremely positive change is not only attributable to our joint efforts; it also reflects Fujian Provincial Border Control's vigorous enforcement of Chinese anti-smuggling laws.
Despite our success to date, we recognize that much more needs to be done to stem the activities of alien smugglers who seek to profit from human misery. A critical part is educating would-be migrants about the dangers of putting their lives in the hands of these criminals. The recent deaths of 58 Chinese migrants in Britain and the discovery earlier this year of three dead migrants in a cargo container in Seattle highlight the fact that for those involved in this reprehensible activity profits are more precious than people.
At a press conference which the Fujian Provincial Border Control hosted earlier this year, Jean Christiansen, our District Director in Bangkok and who is with me today, offered INS's assistance in getting this message out. I'm pleased to be able to present posters prepared by our Office of Public Affairs which graphically illustrate the grave risks involved in alien smuggling and the endless cycle of human misery it creates.
I'm confident that by building on the solid foundation we have already established, we can disrupt and dismantle these criminal enterprises. I look forward to continue working together toward this shared goal. Thank you.
I would now like to present this plaque in recognition of the partnership formed between the Fujian Provincial Border Control and INS' office in Guangzhou, and extend my personal thanks for your efforts in combating alien smuggling.
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(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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