The proposal, put forth by Ms. Wexton and her colleagues, arises from an express concern highlighted by disturbing accounts of human rights abuses including religious repression, forced detention, political indoctrination, torture, and other forms of suppression carried out by the Chinese government against Uyghurs and other Muslim minority groups.
With over a million individuals reported to be held in internment camps and serious human rights violations being perpetrated, this bill aims to offer an avenue of relief for those seeking asylum, circumventing the current backlog of approximately 3.6 million visa applicants waiting to enter the United States.
In this proposal, individuals eligible for the Priority 2 status include those who have fled the Xinjiang Region due to persecution based on political opinions, religious or cultural beliefs. This also extends to individuals who have suffered discrimination in other Chinese provinces due to the same causes, or those who have not yet settled in third countries. Family of those persecuted will also qualify, with the exception of parents holding citizenship in a country other than the People’s Republic of China.
The bill proposes that applications for this refugee status could be processed in China or a third country, and stipulates that these applications should not be refused merely based on the applicants’ eligibility for admission under other U.S. immigrant classifications. Additionally, the Act imposes a requirement on the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Homeland Security to report on the processing of these individuals every 90 days.
Interestingly, the bill also seeks to remove any presumption of immigrant status for aliens from the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and allows them to establish a well-founded fear of persecution based on their ethnicity, religion, or political opinion.
The proposal explicitly states that the United States will prioritize diplomacy with third countries hosting individuals falling under this Act’s specifications, particularly given concerns over pressures faced from the Government of the People’s Republic of China. Furthermore, the bill takes an inclusive global stance by encouraging U.S. allies and partners to make similar accommodations for residents fleeing oppression from the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.
The bill has been referred to the Committee on the Judiciary and also the Committee on Foreign Affairs for further consideration, marking the beginning of its journey through the legislative process. As it stands, this bill reflects a centralized effort to address the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Xinjiang and its wider implications on international human rights norms. If passed, it could significantly alter the fate of many seeking refuge from systemic abuse, serving as a testament to the envisioned world order of upholding humanitarian values.
