This Kind Of Shocked Me...

Apparently, up until now, China has refused to accept back any of the overstayers or illegal immigrants that have been caught in the US. There are over 39,000 of them living there now...

The Department of Homeland Security is near an agreement with China to return up to 39,000 Chinese illegally living in the U.S. to the communist country, which previously had refused to accept deportations.

Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff yesterday said the tentative agreement, which would let the U.S. deport Chinese illegals as they are arrested, will act as a deterrent to other foreign nationals contemplating illegal immigration.

"We can't be in the position any longer where we are paying the burden and bearing the burden for countries that won't cooperate with us and take their own citizens back," said Mr. Chertoff as he completed a weeklong tour of China, Japan and Singapore to discuss security and immigration issues.

Mr. Chertoff said nearly 700 Chinese nationals held in U.S. detention centers are clogging the system and that more than 38,000 have been released on bond after spending the maximum 180 days in lockup.

China has declined to accept the illegals, citing uncertainty about their identities.

As I have complained about before, it is irritating that I have to pay HK$780 [US$100] for my 6 month visa for China. It is more expensive for Americans than most other nationalities and more difficult to get a visa. For example, they won't process an American on a Saturday and one cannot get an on-the-spot visa in Lo Wu. The reason being, is that China has cited diplomatic reciprocity. Diplomatic reciprocity is a concept that a country is justified in charging or making it difficult for one countries nationals in retaliation for the treatment of their own people. Well, well, we are in a low level diplomatic spat with China since the US, due to troubles with overstaying and illegal Chinese nationals, finds it necessary to retaliate against Americans. I wonder how much China has to spend on overstaying or illegal Americans in China? How about a wild guess of.....nothing?

It is important to note, that the expense of overstaying Chinese or illegals is a heavy burden on the US taxpayer. According to Michael Chertoff, it costs the US $95 per day or $17,100 to process and detain an illegal for the 180 days that the Chinese illegals have been held, this totals over a half a billion dollars. 39,000*17,100=$666,900,000. Visa charges for Chinese traveling to the US are $100 and given the expense that is incurred in the detention process, it should be much, much higher.

But what amazes me is that China has refused to accept back their own citizens. How can a country do that? And why would the US ever allow a Chinese citizen into its country if China doesn't allow back those citizen if they overstay? And this kind of policy also promotes the illegal trafficking in humans by 'snakeheads' who could sell their services to people knowing full well that if the illegal gets caught, they would be able to stay in the US anyway.

Its just institutionalized lunacy. Jeez.