Permanent residency for Liberians sought

silive.com
By Judy L. Randall
Published: Saturday, November 12, 2011, 7:32 AM

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A City Council resolution calling on Congress to pass the Liberian Refugee Immigration Act of 2011 -- to give legal Liberian immigrants a pathway to permanent residency -- has been introduced by Councilwoman Debi Rose.

Her district is home to the majority of the 10,000 Liberians who now call Staten Island home.

The Island is believed to have the largest community of Liberians living outside Liberia, with Clifton frequently referred to as "Little Liberia" because of its residents, restaurants and food markets.


Staten Island is believed to have the largest community of Liberians living outside Liberia, with Clifton frequently referred to as 'Little Liberia' because of its residents, restaurants and food markets.

The resolution put forth during the Nov. 3 meeting of the City Council by Ms. Rose (D-North Shore) and Councilman Daniel Dromm (D-Queens) is non-binding.

The Liberian Immigration Act, introduced earlier this year in the House and Senate, would have to be signed by President Obama.

It would grant permanent residency to Liberian nationals who have lived continuously in the U.S. for a defined period of time, or who are the spouse or child of the individual.

In September, a 2009 Temporary Protected Status (TPS) extension for Liberian refugees, which was set to expire, was extended by the Obama administration for 18 months. Their homeland is still in a state of upheaval after a devastating civil war left more than 150,000 dead and displaced half the population.

The refugees had been granted TPS as undocumented immigrants unable to return home in the 1990s. After the TPS expired, they were provided with Deferred Enforced Departure status during the Bush administration.

Said Ms. Rose: "Staten Island's North Shore has long been known as a destination for the African Diaspora. There are residents here from Liberia who have lived here for decades and raised their families here. For many of them, this is now home, and for others this is the only home they know."

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