US Administration extends protected status for Sudanese
By Wasil Ali
March 10, 2007 (WASHINGTON) — US Administration has decided to extend for 18 months a special status for Sudanese currently residing in US saying that security conditions in Sudan remain volatile and dangerous in Western and Southern parts of the country.
The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced an 18-month extension of temporary protected status (TPS) granted to the Sudanese nationals living in the US till November 2, 2008. The current TPS designation for Sudan was due to expire on May 2.
The Secretary of Homeland Security published a notice on March 8 saying that “Despite the signing of a comprehensive peace agreement between the government of Sudan and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A), conditions in Sudan continue to be volatile and dangerous in large parts of Western and Southern Sudan”.
Based on these findings the notice states that the Secretary of Homeland Security concluded that “after consultation with the appropriate Government agencies, that the conditions that prompted the designation of Sudan for TPS continue to be met” and that “the armed conflict is ongoing and there are extraordinary and temporary conditions in Sudan that prevent aliens who are nationals of Sudan (or aliens having no nationality who last habitually resided in Sudan) from returning in safety” and that “it is not contrary to the national interest of the United States to permit aliens who meet the eligibility requirements of TPS to remain in the United States temporarily”.
During the period for which Sudan has been designated under the TPS program, Sudanese citizens who were continuously present on or before October 7, 2004 and applied timely for TPS benefits may remain in the United States and obtain work authorization and may not be deported unless they commit certain crimes.
However TPS does not lead to permanent resident status which is better known as the ‘green card’. Sudan was initially designated for TPS in 1997 and was subsequently extended throughout the years.
USCIS currently have seven countries designated for TPS which are Burundi, El Salvador, Honduras, Liberia, Nicaragua, Somalia and Sudan.
Temporary Protected Status (TPS) is a temporary immigration status granted to nationals of designated countries as part of the US Immigration Act of 1990. The US Congress established a procedure by which the Attorney General may provide TPS to aliens in the United States who are temporarily unable to safely return to their home country because of ongoing armed conflict, the temporary effects of an environmental disaster, or other extraordinary and temporary conditions.
On March 1, 2003 the authority to designate a country for TPS, and to extend and terminate TPS designations, was transferred from the Attorney General to the Secretary of Homeland Security.
(ST)