*EPF410 10/12/00
Meissner Says Cooperative U.S.-China Anti-Smuggling Efforts Succeeding
(Fifth of a series on Chinese alien smuggling) (680)
By Jane Morse
Washington File Writer

Introduction: Each year, thousands of Chinese pay criminals known as "snakeheads" tens of thousands of dollars for a chance to illegally enter the United States with the dream of making their "fortunes."

They endure long, difficult voyages, months in hiding, beatings at the hands of snakehead "enforcers." When they get to the United States, they find themselves trapped by debt and their illegal status.

Many never escape.

This series of articles, provided by the State Department's International Information Programs Office, examines their plight.

During her first official visit to China, Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) Commissioner Doris Meissner sought to strengthen cooperation between the U.S. and Chinese governments in fighting alien smuggling. Some of the cooperative initiatives, she said, are beginning to show results.

During the first week of July 2000, Meissner visited Chinese officials in Beijing, Hong Kong, and Fuzhou.

Fuzhounese now make up the majority of ethnic Chinese immigrants to the United States. Those who enter illegally do so by paying "snakeheads" sums that can exceed $55,000 for passage. Many are brutalized during harrowing trips that can take months.

According to Meissner, human smuggling has become an $8-billion-dollar-a-year global enterprise run by sophisticated criminal syndicates that are well financed and well equipped.

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 the U.S. border. Global Reach is designed to build partnerships with host countries to solve the common problems associated with large-scale, migrant-smuggling operations.

According to Meissner, operations out of the offices in Beijing and Guangzhou have been especially productive.

In January, INS repatriated 249 U.S.-bound migrants, who had been intercepted off the coast of Guatemala, directly to Fuzhou. It was the fifth group of migrants the United States repatriated to Fuzhou since June 1999. In total, some 1,000 migrants have been repatriated.

Several months ago, U.S. law enforcement officials arrested "Sister Ping," a major figure in international migrant smuggling in Hong Kong. Her arrest, which ended a five-year, worldwide manhunt, was greatly aided by Hong Kong law enforcement officials.

Effective cooperation depends on well-trained personnel. Earlier this year, the Chinese government hosted a training program in fraudulent document detection. For the first time, INS officers from Carrier Affairs Office helped provide training to more than 70 people, Meissner noted.

In June, Chinese and U.S. officials met in Beijing for the third session of the Joint Liaison Group on Law Enforcement. Representatives from INS and the Ministry of Public Security discussed specific proposals for increased information sharing and coordination.

Cooperative anti-smuggling efforts are succeeding, Meissner said. For example, there has been a dramatic decline in the number of smuggling vessels the U.S. Coast Guard has intercepted. In 1999, the U.S. Coast Guard had intercepted six ships near Guam, carrying hundreds of migrants destined for the United States. So far this year, no ships involved in large-scale smuggling operations have been found.

"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," Meissner said. "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."

According to Meissner, the smuggling enterprises can be dismantled by strengthening cooperative efforts among nations. "Our most effective weapon against those who traffic in human cargo is teamwork," she said.

Next: International Concern About Human Smuggling is Growing

(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)

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