an article on NYTimes about an Italian being thrown into county jail for some minor infraction. It is good to be harsh on people who flout their visa conditions and this is true across all nations. If your visa expires on 31st May 2008, then get out a couple of days before it. Follow the ruless. If you dont want to, dont travel. Or if the rules are too complewx, then you run the risk of getting arrested. The reason they are in detention is because they are undocumented / aka illegals. No sympathy there. When a nation screws up a la Cornelia Rau, compensation is justified along with the rolling of a few heads. Dobbing in of illegals is an accepted Australian value. I am yet to dob in one although I will do it without any qualms. If DBDs can spend years waiting for our turn, no wonder that we say ‘get in line mate’.

33 · immigration lawyer The immigration reforms of 1965 facially removed racial restrictions and limitations on immigration. Instead, each country is given the same cap on immigrants. So India or China is granted the same number of visas per year as Luxembourg. The result has been that four countries – China, Mexico, India, and the Philippines – lag behind all other countries in wait times for immigrant visas, in some cases as much as a thirteen year longer wait.

Yes, and–(I’m not justifying it)–what is the reason for this per-country cap?

The answer to this question is a little murky. One could say that it is to preserve diversity of immigration to the United States. Others would translate this as preventing the brown hordes of India and Mexico from overrunning the country. A couple of things are interesting about the caps.

First is a program called the diversity visa lottery. The lottery allows anyone from underrepresented countries (people from Norway qualify but not India) to apply for a lottery ticket once a year. The stated purpose of the diversity visa was to assist those countries “adversely impacted” by the 1965 reform. Now, the 1965 reform lifted the bar on Asian immigration. Helping those hurt by the removal of a racist bar in the name of diversity? Although many diversity visa applicants are from Africa.

Second, there is a curious method of determining which country an individual is from. If the goal was to allow for cultural or nationality diversity among our immigrants, the country of citizenship or the country where one spent most of their life would be the logical method of determining one’s country. However, the country of birth is used. For example, an individual is born in India but moves to England as a young child and grows up there and becomes an English citizen. An immigrant visa is filed for the person. The person is considered Indian and is subject to the longer wait time of India rather than England. This seems to indicate a desire to discretely classify people by race rather than nationality as is stated.

Oh.Hell.To.The.Naw. This Drrrty DJ spent 39 out of the past 48 hours playing GTA, 6 sleeping, and 3 seeing Atmosphere tear it up at the GAMH last night. Way more boss than trying to get Suki to sign up for an elective.

Yes, and–(I’m not justifying it)–what is the reason for this per-country cap?

in words of a great australian prime minister, Immigration can be condensed into one sentence. “we will decide who comes into this country and the manner in which they come”.

For folks who bash Australia, there was a two year waiting period to become a citizen (now it is four). The gap between becoming eligible to be a citizen and actual citizenship ceremony was 120 days. Yes four months… This with a test, local council holding the ceremony etc etc. Time lapsed to become a Permanent Resident from application (14 months). I doubt if the INS can work at this speed.

Yeah, let’s kind of hope that people continue to suffer so that Australia, with a history of anti-immigrant attitudes, can gain. hat an asinine comment.

no more anti-immigrant than the USA. I take it that you are not very familiar with history of immigration. ‘Anchor babies’ were banned in Australia from 1986. Pretty wise move. I have absolutely no sympathy for illegal immigrants. There is a consensus even amongst the Left in Australia that everyone gets in line to get into this country. The rules are mostly fair and execution is swift. Those who dont like it can go elsewhere.

Explain to me why deportation is in itself an issue? Believe me, I know from personal experience, that the system of laws is screwy, and that even that system can be further abused.

Didn’t you answer your own question here? WSJ had a coverage of the deportation of an illegal Polish immigrant (the background being automatic searches of USCIS databases by locan police in traffic stops and the like even when there is no probable cause or anything. Incidentally, this is the law in many municipalities now) who had been a productive member of the community. It is hugely disruptive of family life. I have no doubt that this practice will be looked at with the same horror which you get now when visiting the museum of slavery in New Orleans (which depicts how families were torn apart in auctions). I have no doubt that “enlightened” thought of the day regarded those as unfortunate, but morally justifiable.

Abhi, pretty soon you will be migrating to playing with the mind instead of hands

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