INS Special Registration continues to affect Tufts students

The Special Registration (SR) procedures will continue to force a small group of Tufts students from a select list of countries to register with the Immigration and Naturalization Service, now part of the Department of Homeland Security.

According to International Center Director Jane Etish-Andrews, there are approximately 30 undergraduates currently subject to Special Registration. These students were informed earlier this semester that they would be required to register.

The National Entry-Exit Registration System is part of the USA Patriot Act, passed in Oct. 2001. Male non-immigrant students -- foreign students studying in the US without intent to move here -- from certain countries are subject to Special Registration.

The countries that require SR are almost exclusively countries with significant Muslim populations: Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates, Yemen, and Eritrea. North Korea is also on the list, and more countries are likely to be added in the future.

"At a Special Registration session, a non-immigrant will be required to answer questions under oath, be fingerprinted and photographed. It will also be necessary to have your passport, I-94 card, visa document, proof of residence, proof of matriculation from your educational institution, proof of employment, etc. INS may also ask to see banking and credit card information," the International Center website reads.

In addition to an initial interview, SR students are subjected to ongoing monitoring and are required to make specific reports after being in the country for 30 days and then again after 12 months. SR students are also responsible for reporting any changes in their study, employment, or place of residence.

According to a US State Department press release issued in Sept. 2002, the rationale behind Special Registration is that, "Terrorist attacks have claimed the lives of thousands of Americans, as well as nationals from many other countries. As a result, new regulations have gone into effect to help ensure the safety of all persons in the United States. These regulations require the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) to register certain individuals in the interest of national security or law enforcement."

The International Center staff has assisted SR students in meeting the INS deadlines, the last of which is April 25 for students from Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, and Kuwait. Students at Tufts are updated about registration changes through e-mails from the International Center, and the information is also posted on the Center's website.

Although none of the SR students interviewed were willing to be quoted, most felt the Special Registration system is appropriate given current world circumstances but that it does contribute to an unfair and negative stereotype of people from the selected countries.

Samar Habayeb, the freshman representative for the Arab Student Association and a Palestinian student who lives in Jordan, believes that Special Registration is a form of discrimination, and that it creates wider problems. An entire population cannot be classified as terrorists based on the actions of a small group, she said.

The increased security measures and visa regulations are "...ruining a lot of people's careers -- people can lose an entire year waiting for a visa to come through," Habayeb said. However, she is exempt from SR because she is female.