The Marshall Islands parliament Foreign Affairs Committee chairman, Sen. Gerald Zackios, said the “issue of Compact-Impact needs to be addressed and ways to deal with it identified by the Marshall Islands and United States jointly, and within the overall intent, framework and spirit of the Compact, a special and unique relationship.”
They were reacting this week to a U.S. Senate Appropriations approval last week of Homeland Security’s FY 2012 budget that includes directives to the Obama administration to begin restricting migration of islanders from the Federated States of Micronesia, Marshall Islands and Palau to the U.S. and its territories.
“Although distressing, we must keep in mind that this is a Senate committee report that accompanies proposed legislation,” Silk said Wednesday.
“That said, I totally disagree with the recommendations stated in the report. This is not a situation that merits changes to the immigration provisions of the Compact, and the suggested regulations would clearly be overkill and destructive to the relationship of free association in a matter that can be handled through cooperation.”
Silk added that the Marshall Islands government is actively engaged with relevant Obama administration and U.S. congressional officials on this issue as a matter of the highest priority.
“The establishment of a committee to study the issue of Compact-Impact on the United States and its territories is appropriate and within the authority of the U.S. Congress,” said Zackios. “However, a National Security Council Interagency Policy Committee on Freely Associated States Affairs is unfortunate given that the Marshall Islands seems to now have become a National Security issue of the United States.”
“The United States Administration and the Marshall Islands Administration should continue to work together on this issue to come up with a way forward, not one that has a penalizing effect,” Zackios said, adding talks on the issue should “be held among friends and in a constructive manner.”
