Thread: Kennewick family returning to Russia after being denied reli

Mid-Columbia news


Kennewick family returning to Russia after being denied religious asylum




Published Friday, September 7th, 2007

By Joe Chapman, Herald staff writer

The Alexander Korotkov family reluctantly left Kennewick on Thursday night to return to Russia, a country they fled a decade ago to escape religious intolerance.

"If we had some hope of staying in the United States without problems, we'd take that chance," said Galina Korotkov, Alexander's wife.

Instead, the family left Kennewick at about 11 p.m. Thursday after a family gathering at the home of Alexander's parents, Yuriy and Liza Korotkov. They drove overnight in an SUV caravan of relatives to Seattle, where they would start their international trip to Kaliningrad, Russia.

About 80 relatives and friends squeezed into the three-bedroom home to say goodbye to their loved ones. The participants ate manty, a Kyrgyzstani pastry, and cake. They prayed together and sang Russian hymns with accordian accompaniment.

The gathering resembled a festive family event, but as the night drew on, the tears and sadness crept through on the faces of those present.

"We're praying and hoping for the best, that this is just a temporary deal," said Gennadiy Barbarosh of Pasco, Alexander and Galina's brother-in-law.

Alexander and Galina Korotkov originally came to the U.S. on tourist visas 10 years ago. Soon after they arrived, they applied for asylum, claiming they faced religious persecution if they returned to Russia.

Their parents and several siblings were granted asylum on the same basis a few years before. Others in the extended family were granted asylum in the years that followed. But through an apparent bureaucratic mishap, the Korotkovs' application wasn't processed for seven years, and the family thought they were in the clear to stay.

Three years ago, they learned that they still were in limbo, and their application was denied. They lost their appeal in February, and were given until todayto leave the country.

The family sought help from the offices of Rep. Doc Hastings, R-Wash., and Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., who sent letters to immigration authorities. But their clout failed to change the outcome.

As late as Thursday, word came from Cantwell's office that the senator had secured a 30-day extension for the family from the immigration authorities. But the offer was by word of mouth only, and the family received no documentation Thursday to prove they could stay.

At least one immigration office said Thursday that no such extension was in the works. If the Korotkovs stayed a day past their deadline, they risked deportation and a 10-year ban.

"We're afraid of taking this extension," Galina Korotkov said. "I'm afraid to trust."

In recent days, as the family's deadline loomed, their case caught the attention of the public. Many responded with outrage. Hastings' office received letters and phone calls from 16 people regarding the Korotkovs. His office also received a petition of support with about 100 names on it.

Much of the response focused on the apparent unfairness in removing a family that arrived in the country legally and were forced to leave after they had planted roots. The Korotkovs bought a house, put their two daughters in school and had two more children here. The whole family learned English.

"This is just breaking my heart," said Susie Tinnin of Kennewick, who said she looked up the family's phone number this week to apologize to Galina.

Eastern Washington immigration attorney Tom Roach said immigration laws can be harsh on those snared in its nets, but those regulations play a necessary role in society.

"If every person who wanted to come to the United States and wanted to immigrate here was somehow entitled to if they stayed and had a sympathetic case, instead of 300 million people in this countr, there could be 800 million people in the country," Roach said.

The details in individual cases can be heart-wrenching, but the larger ideas behind the rules aren't necessarily completely flawed, he said.

But some of the outcry has been that the system seems to have a double standard. Some put the discussion about the Korotkovs in terms of the debate over illegal immigration.

"We have 12 million illegal aliens living in the United States, and we can't let one family that has followed every single rule stay? I think it's terrible," said Iris Lecher of Benton City.

To the end, the Korotkovs played by the rules, leaving voluntarily instead of risking deportation.

After losing their appeal, they sold their home so they could leave when they had to. Members of their church put them in touch with contacts in Kaliningrad, Russia, who have an apartment where the family can stay initially. In time, they hope to return to the U.S. on visas.

The Korotkovs even were good stewards of the rental house they moved into after selling their home. They arranged for the carpet to be shampooed ahead of the next family who is scheduled to move in today.

http://www.tri-cityherald.com/tch/local ... 7805c.html

"In time, they hope to return to the U.S. on visas"

And then stay beyond the time limit on the visa (again)....and here we go again....and again....and again.....