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Announcement and Preliminary Agenda Refugee and Asylum Team Meeting, April 22, 1998 Secretary of State's Advisory Commission on Religious Freedom Abroad

The Secretary of State's Advisory Committee on Religious Freedom Abroad announces a meeting with government and non-government officials to be held by representatives of the Committee's members looking at asylum and refugee issues. The meeting will take place between 9:00 am and 3:00 pm on Wednesday, April 22, 1998 at the United States Catholic Conference offices, 3211 4th Street, NE, Washington, DC, and will focus primarily on the Committee's interim recommendations published in January of this year. There will be an opportunity for the public to address the meeting briefly during the morning session. A tentative agenda for the meeting is provided below. Please contact the Office of Asylum Affairs at (202) 776-8500 if you wish to attend.

Preliminary Agenda

9:00 a.m.-Noon -- Meeting with PVOs
1:00-3:00 p.m. -- Meeting with Administration

MEETING WITH PVOs

9:00	Welcome, Introductions, and Format for Discussion
	Discussion of the five issue areas will follow a similar format:
	-- Summary of Advisory Commission's recommendations
	-- Data/Materials
	-- Improvements being made by the Administration
	-- Implementation of Commission's recommendations changes required in procedures, regulations, legislation
	-- Further recommendations for Final Report
	-- Future actions steps for Advisory Commission's Asylum/Refugee Team
9:15	Training of State Department and INS Personnel on Religious Persecution
9:35	Human Rights or Country Condition Materials
9:55	Break
10:15	Summary Exclusion/Expedited Removal Process
10:40	Affirmative/Defensive Asylum Process
11:05	Overseas Refugee Processing
11:30	General Comments
Noon	Lunch at USCC

MEETING WITH ADMINISTRATION REPRESENTATIVES

1:00	Welcome, Introductions, and Format for Discussion
1:10	Training of State Department and INS Personnel on Religious Persecution
1:25	Human Rights or Country Condition Materials
1:40	Summary Exclusion/Expedited Removal Process
2:05	Affirmative/Defensive Asylum Process
2:25	Overseas Refugee Processing
2:40	General Comments
3:00	Adjourn

[end of document]

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