Topic: passport trap
The Honorable George W. Bush
President of the United States of America
via e-mail: president@whitehouse.gov
The Honorable Richard Cheney
Vice President of the United States of America
via e-mail: vice.president@whitehouse.gov
Senate Foreign Relations Committee
The Honorable Senator Richard Lugar, Chairman
via e-mail: senator_lugar@lugar.senate.gov
The Honorable Senator Joseph R. Biden Jr., Ranking Minority Member
via e-mail: Senator@Biden.Senate.gov
U.S. House of Representatives
Committee on International Relations
The Honorable Henry J. Hyde, Chairman
Subcommittee on Europe
The Honorable Doug Bereuter, Chairman
via e-mail: HIRC@mail.house.gov
Dear Mr. President,
Dear Mr. Vice President,
Dear Senators and Congressmen,
It has come to my attention that the Polish American Congress and a number of its affiliated organizations have launched a campaign in support of the demands of the government of Poland to introduce visa-free travel for citizens of Poland - without regard to the terms of the Visa Waiver Program - as well as to grant Poland other political and economic favors. Self-appointing themselves as spokespersons of the Polish American community and raising such outrageous claims as the enjoyment of the universal support of 10 million people, the architects of this campaign are lobbying selected U.S. government officials and arranging for letters of support for their proposals.
As a voting American of Polish descent, I am writing this letter to warn you that those claims may be exaggerated and that many members of the Polish American community, such as the signatory of this letter, strongly oppose any diplomatic or economic concessions to Poland given the discriminatory character of its citizenship and passport laws against Polish Americans.
Many law abiding and hard working Polish Americans, including educated and successful professionals, are highly disturbed by the refusal of the government of Poland to recognize their U.S. citizenship and by being treated as Poland's subjects, facing demands that they obtain Polish passports, and being harassed when they visit their families in Poland if they do not comply with such blackmail. Polish law allows to prevent, indefinitely, from leaving the country anyone who is considered a Polish citizen and who does not have a Polish passport. It is an accurate manifestation of Poland's understanding of the concept of law that it often selectively chooses to ignore this regulation, and yet it prefers to retain it on the books as a threat that may whimsically be applied. The government of Poland has been refusing the demands of the international expatriate community to introduce a citizenship renunciation procedure that could be deemed practical by Western standards and it violates the spirit of the 1972 Consular Convention which obligates it to treat all individuals entering Poland with a U.S. passport as Americans, regardless of the alleged Polish citizenship.
We believe that Americans of Polish descent deserve a better treatment. Thus, we appeal to you that no concessions be given to the government of Poland unless and until Polish Americans are allowed to travel to Poland exclusively as citizens of the United States and without fear of humiliation, harassment, and internment until they obtain a passport of a foreign country.
Contrary to the claims of the Polish American Congress, a small and marginalized organization representing narrow special interests of ethnic small businesses that can gain financial rewards from the influx of unskilled workers from Poland, you will enjoy more support of the Polish American community during the coming elections if you address the needs of those people who in addition to being Polish also happen to be the citizens of the United States.
Sincerely,
Regarding:
http://expatpol.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&level=polonia&sublevel=&sid=16027
http://www.dziennik.com./www/dziennik/inne/artykuly/list-do-prezydenta-wizy.html
http://expatpol.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&level=polishnews&sublevel=&sid=16022
Posted by robol
at 1:19 PM EST
Updated: 7 July 2004 6:14 PM EDT
