*EPF407 07/06/00
Text: INS Commissioner July 3 Remarks in Beijing on Alien Smuggling
(Meissner thanks Beijing for its cooperation) (930)
During her first official trip to China, Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) Commissioner Doris Meissner thanked Chinese officials for their cooperation in fighting alien smuggling.
The three-year-old INS program known as "Operation Global Reach" has built partnerships with host countries to solve problems associated with large-scale, migrant-smuggling activities, Meissner said in July 3 remarks in Beijing. Of the 14 new INS offices established worldwide, none has been more productive than those in Beijing and Guangzhou, she continued. To date, Meissner said, "some 1,000 migrants have been repatriated, but none would have been if weren't for the extensive cooperation of the Chinese government."
"We face a formidable foe in the fight against alien smuggling," the Commissioner said. "This $8-billion-dollar-a-year, global enterprise is run by sophisticated criminal syndicates that are well financed and well equipped."
Noting the reduction in smuggling by boat and the recent arrest of a leading smuggling ring-leader, Meissner said: "Our most effective weapon against those who traffic in human cargo is teamwork, and we have seen the impressive results it can produce."
Following is the text of Meissner's remarks, as prepared for delivery:
(begin text)
Remarks of Commissioner Meissner
Press Conference on Migrant Trafficking
Beijing, China
July 3, 2000
Good afternoon. I am very pleased to have this opportunity to express in person my appreciation to law enforcement authorities in the People's Republic of China for the invaluable assistance they have provided the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service in the fight against migrant trafficking.
Before I begin, I'd like to thank the Ministry of Public Security and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as the U.S. Embassy staff, for making this trip and today's public forum possible. This is my first visit to China, and I'm delighted to begin it here in Beijing.
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. 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. In total, some 1,000 migrants have been repatriated, but none would have been if weren't for the extensive cooperation of the Chinese government.
Earlier this year, your government hosted 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 the meeting INS officers and representatives from the Ministry of Public Security discussed specific proposals for increased information sharing and coordination.
We face a formidable foe in the fight against alien smuggling. This $8-billion-dollar-a-year, global enterprise is run by sophisticated criminal syndicates that are well financed and well equipped. Our most effective weapon against those who traffic in human cargo is teamwork, and we have seen the impressive results it can produce. Several months ago, U.S. law enforcement officials arrested a major figure in international migrant smuggling in Hong Kong. The arrest of "Sister Ping" ended a five-year, worldwide manhunt, but it wouldn't have happened without the excellent cooperation we received from Hong Kong law enforcement officials.
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. This time last year, the U.S. Coast Guard had 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 the vigorous enforcement of China's own anti-smuggling laws.
While we have made significant strides, 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.
I'm confident that by building on the solid foundation we've already established, we can disrupt and dismantle these criminal enterprises. I look forward to continue working together toward this shared goal. Thank you.
(end text)
(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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