Immigration equality

Not to be confused with Immigration Equality (organization).

Immigration equality is a term which refers to the equal treatment of any or all citizens' ability or right to immigrate their family members. It also applies to fair and equal execution of the laws and the rights of non-citizens regardless of nationality or where they are coming from. Immigration issues can also be a lesbian and gay rights issue, as government recognition of same-sex relationships vary from country to country.

Immigration and migrant rights issue

For instance, in 1999, President Clinton sent a bill to Congress that would have equalized immigration rights for people from Central America and Haiti. Clinton said the bill would correct the imbalance in immigration laws that gave advantage to people who fled communist regimes in Cuba and Nicaragua. Like Nicaraguans and Cubans, many Salvadorans, Guatemalans, Hondurans and Haitains fled human rights abuses or unstable political economic conditions in the 1980s and 1990s, but the later received unequal treatment that granted to the Nicaraguans and Cubans. The "Central American and Haitian Parity Act of 1999" never passed, but would have offered immigration equality protections to migrants from Haiti, El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras.

Haitians particularly sought immigration equality in the Elián González affair in 2000 when they organized demonstrations in Miami during an international tug-o-war between Cuba and the US. They protested what they said was discrimination against Haitian immigrants by the INS and the behavior of elected officials who lobbied for Elián González to stay in the US, yet ignored the plight Haitian refugees and the repatriation of Haitian children.

In 2004, The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, UNHCR, expressed concern about the plight of the Haitian people as the country was sliding further into chaos. Cuba, Jamaica and Canada said they will not send people back to Haiti, but President George W Bush warned Haitians they will be sent home if they try to flee to the US. In a matter of a few days, the US Coast Guard intercepted some 500 people in boats fleeing Haiti and sent them back. But the US does not send back Cubans fleeing similar situations and regimes and many argue that immigration equality rights between the two nationalities should apply.

In 2006, protests continued for immigration equality rights for the Haitians as Lawyers protest Deportation of Illegal Immigrants to Haiti.

LGBT immigration issues

United States

In the United States, gay and lesbian Americans are not currently afforded the same rights and responsibilities under current immigration law as their heterosexual counterparts. The Uniting American Families Act would end this discrimination and establish immigration equality. Even though a number of US states have recognized same sex marriages and civil unions - New Hampshire being the latest - immigration equality is still a long way off because the Defense of Marriage Act forbids the federal government from conferring any benefits to same sex couples.

Worldwide

Currently at least 25 countries, and most English-speaking countries, aside from the US, provide immigration equality to their citizens. In 1989, countries around the world began offering same-sex couples the chance to immigrate their foreign-born partners. Greenland will become the 25th country in June 2009 when it becomes an autonomous nation within the Kingdom of Denmark behind Andorra (year needed); Croatia (year needed); Denmark (1989); Norway (1993); Sweden (1994); Australia (1995); Iceland (1996); Belgium (1997); United Kingdom (1997); France (1999); New Zealand (1999); South Africa (1999); Israel (2000); Portugal (2001); The Netherlands (2001); Germany (2001); Finland (2001); Switzerland (2003); Brazil (2003); Canada (2005); and Spain (2005); Czech Republic (2007) Colombia (2009) and Japan (2009). The following four countries need to be verified: Hungary, Luxembourg, Slovenia and Uruguay. All of the previous four countries have some sort of civil unions and same sex couples are granted certain federal rights, it's just unclear if immigration benefits is one of them.

LGBT immigration organizations

Organizations involved with LGBT immigration issues

Immigration Equality, Inc. (United States)

Main article: Immigration Equality (organization)

Immigration Equality is a national organization fighting for equality under U.S. immigration law for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and HIV-positive individuals. Founded in 1994 as the Lesbian and Gay Immigration Rights Task Force, it has grown to a membership of 10,000 people in cities all over the country.

Immigration Equality also maintains a list of LGBT/HIV-friendly private immigration attorneys to provide legal representation for those who contact them. They also provide technical assistance to attorneys who are working on sexual orientation, transgender identity, or HIV status-based asylum applications, or other immigration applications where the client’s LGBT or HIV-positive identity is at issue in the case.

Out 4 Immigration (United States)

Out4Immigration is a volunteer grassroots organization that addresses the widespread discriminatory impact of U.S. immigration laws on the lives of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and HIV+ people and their families through education, outreach, advocacy and the maintenance of a resource and support network.

National Center For Lesbian Rights (United States)

The National Center for Lesbian Rights, founded in 1977, is a national legal organization committed to advancing the civil and human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people and their families through litigation, public policy advocacy, and public education.

What We Do: NCLR is a non-profit, public interest law firm which litigates precedent-setting cases at the trial and appellate court levels; advocates for equitable public policies affecting the LGBT community; provides free legal assistance to LGBT people and their legal advocates; and conducts community education on LGBT legal issues.

Who We Serve: More than 5,000 lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people and their families in all fifty states each year, including LGBT seniors, immigrants, athletes, and youth. And our impact litigation serves all LGBT people in the United States.

Love Exiles (The Netherlands)

Love Exiles

External links

• Equal Opportunity Immigration
• Immigration Equality
• People For The American Way
• National Center for Lesbian Rights
• U.K. Lesbian and Gay Immigration Rights Group
• Out 4 Immigration
• Human Rights Watch
• Through Thick and Thin, a documentary about the immigration struggles of gay and lesbian couples in America
• Gay Immigration Equality Rights