By Teewon George Manakpalah|Contributor
As residents of the American Colony Of Liberia celebrate Flag Day over 10,000 Liberians who have endured what they termed as unfair and mistreatment in America now risk losing rare golden opportunities of access to Green Cards.
Rights Group Calls For Two Urgent Humanitarian Interventions By The Weah-led Administration & The Liberian Legislature to secure Green Cards for Liberian beneficiaries of the new law, The Liberian Refugee Fairness Act.
A press statement issued August 22, 2020 by the Universal Human Rights International revealed an estimated 10,000 Liberians who fled a bloody civil war on or before November 20, 2014 are eligible to apply for permanent residency, according to a new law, The Liberian Refugee Immigration Fairness Act signed by President Trump on December 20, 2019.
Meanwhile, Liberians in Boston, Massachusetts, USA, led by Rev. Torli H. Krua, will, on August 24, 2020, Spread a giant Liberian Flag in Boston Common, calling on the United States Congress, in the wake of the death of George Floyd, to mitigate officially sanctioned racism.
In a letter to the Acting Foreign Minister of Liberia, Henry Fahnbulleh, Senator Prince Johnson of Nimba County and Representative Rogers Domah of Nimba County, Rev. Torli H. Krua, called on the Weah-led Administration and the Liberian National Legislature to urgently take two simple urgent actions to ensure that every Liberian beneficiary applies for the rare opportunity.
“We call on the Weah-led Government and the Legislature to take two urgent actions: suspend all in-person interviews for Liberian Passports and waive the $205 fee for all the unemployed beneficiaries of the “fairness act’’.
They further, asked that Liberia extends all expired passports currently held by Liberian beneficiaries for one year to expedite the process without biometric as lockdowns and covid-19 restrictions have made travel impossible in the United States.
The Universal Human Rights International also urge the Liberian Government, which should be celebrating Flag Day in what they referred to as a honor of America’s red, white and blue, to urgently communicate directly with the American Government for immediate blanket waiver of all green card filing fees($1,225) for unemployed beneficiaries of the “Fairness Act” to expedite the process.
The founder of the Universal Human Rights International Rev. Torli H. Krua said it is ridiculous for unemployed Liberians to be deny access to humanitarian assistance for decades and work permits.
‘’With the lives of innocent Liberian refugees at serious risk in America due to unfair mistreatment and while the US Embassy is making millions of dollars in non-refundable visa fees from poor Liberians denied visitors’ visa, the Republic of Liberia is celebrating the replica of the American Flag’s Red, White & Blue on August 24, 2020.’’
They intimated that Liberia was and still is a colony of the United States, accusing America of breaching its duty of care for the security of Liberians for centuries.
The Universal Human Right International lamented that it is sadden that on August 24, Liberians will be celebrating America’s red, white and blue, at the same time, Liberian refugees who fled a civil war made in America are still unable to work legally even with passage of the Liberian Refugee Fairness Act because the “Fairness Act”, has failed to live up to its name with the $1225 imposed on unemployed refugees.
They stressed that not only Liberian Refugees in America are mistreated and suffering in America for decades, Liberians living in Monrovia have not been spared from discrimination and oppression by the United States.
According to Section 245 (i) of the United States Immigration and Nationality Act, all refugees entering the United States are exempt from paying filing fees for green cards. Millions of refugees have benefited from this law.
