Faisao plans meeting with FAS leaders

The chair of the House Federal and Foreign Relations Committee plans to meet with government leaders of the Freely Associated States to discuss the pending legislation restricting the migration of their citizens into the Northern Marianas.

Rep. Melvin Faisao said yesterday that once funding is available, he would travel to neighboring islands as part of its review of House Bill 11-294 which awaits a report from the joint panel between his committee and the House Labor and Immigration Committee.

The trip is necessary to “make sure that there is full understanding on the bill,” he said, explaining that most FAS governments have expressed opposition against the proposal due to different interpretation of its provisions.

Although local government agencies and departments have overwhelmingly backed the measure, Faisao said the Legislature would not want to strain relations with its neighbors by passing the bill without hearing their side.

Three public hearings conducted by the joint panel in the last few weeks have also drummed up support from CNMI residents, but “we must take precautionary measures not to implement restrictive policy towards the FAS people,” the representative said.

In a letter to the committee, the president of Palau has denounced the proposal as discriminatory and asked the CNMI government to mount a strong lobbying campaign to demand payment from Washington, instead of changing the policy.

The island government, together with Guam and Hawaii, has urged the central government to reimburse them the costs of hosting thousands of FAS nationals who have been granted public housing, medical care, free schooling and other benefits extended only to their residents.

Washington has reneged on its earlier pledges to provide financial assistance to these governments, compounding the costs that run to millions of dollars each year.

While CNMI has yet to account for the actual costs under the Compact Impact funds, local officials maintain these nonresident immigrants have drained local coffers and burdened the limited infrastructure on the island.

Under the proposal, the government will set up a monitoring scheme to keep track of FAS nationals eligible to stay on the island who must either work or attend school full-time.

This will amend the existing open migration policy provided under the Compact of Free Association which has allowed their citizens to enter the CNMI or other US territories without restriction.

A recommendation from the House panel is expected to come out by May for deliberation by lawmakers before voting on the bill, according to Faisao.