| Summary: | In November 1986, the US Immigration Reform and Control Act came into effect and this new immigration law has had a major impact on the lives of some 6 million undocumented migrants residing in the USA. Many undocumented persons have received little information about the new legislation process. Hence, this manual is intended to summarize what church bodies and other concerned persons need to know about the Act (also known as The Simpson-Rodino Act). The manual begins with a summary of the provisions of the law itself and contains six sections covering each of the law's major elements: legalization, employer sanctions and discrimination, services for immigrants, agricultural worker provisions, preparing for residency and protection for refugees. In the section on protection for refugees, other legal relief possibilities for persons who do not qualify for legalization but who in effect do qualify for political asylum are proposed. A fact sheet on asylum procedures in the United States is given. Also, some undocumented Central American asylum seekers may qualify for a place on the Canadian Government's refugee admissions programme and guidelines for eligibility for acceptance on the programme are presented. The final two chapters of the manual deal with possible responses to assist undocumented immigrants 'at risk' who do not qualify for legalization under the new immigration law or refugee status.
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