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PAGE 01 PARIS 20931 170955Z
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ACTION VO-03
INFO OCT-01 EUR-12 ISO-00 SCA-01 INSE-00 NEA-10 SSO-00
/027 W
--------------------- 049373
R 170943Z JUL 76
FM AMEMBASSY PARIS
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 3070
INFO AMCONSUL BORDEAUX
AMCONSUL LYON
AMCONSUL NICE
AMCONSUL MARSEILLE
AMCONSUL STRASBOURG
AMEMBASSY LONDON
UNCLAS PARIS 20931
E.O. 11652: N/A
TAGS: CVIS, SREF, FR, LE
SUBJECT: LEBANESE VISA APPLICANTS
REF: PARIS 19366, STATE 174715
1.EMBASSY PARIS PARTICULARLY PLEASED TO RECEIVE STATE
REFTEL SINCE IT EXPRESSES A DEGREE OF CONCERN FOR SOLU-
TION OF THE LEBANESE VISA PROBLEM WHICH WE HAVE FELT
FOR SOME TIME. INDEED IT WAS THIS GROWING CONCERN WHICH
PROMPTED OUR PREVIOUS CABLE ON THIS SUBJECT.
2. LEBANESE APPLICANTS AT EMBASSY PARIS HAVE OF COURSE
RECEIVED THE SORT OF EXPEDITIOUS AND SYMPATHETIC HANDLING
WHICH STATE 174715 PRESCRIBES FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE
CURRENT CRISIS.
3. AS THE DEPARTMENT IS AWARE, HOWEVER, THE PROBLEM
POSED BY THE GROWING NUMBERS OF LEBANESE APPLICANTS IS
NOT ONE WHICH CAN BE ENTIRELY SOLVED SOLELY BY THE ADOP-
TION OF A SPECIFIC ATTITUDE. TO PUT IT MORE PLAINLY, THE
LARGE MAJORITY OF LEBANESE NIV APPLICANTS MUST FINALLY
BE FOUND TO BE INELIGIBLE SO LONG AS THE ULTIMATE
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TOUCHSTONE OF JUDGMENT REMAINS THE IMMIGRATION AND
NATIONALITY ACT--AND STATE 174715 WOULD APPEAR TO MAKE IT
CLEAR THAT THIS IS INDEED THE CASE.
4. AS WE STATED IN OUR PREVIOUS MESSAGE, THE PROBLEMS
POSED BY THE RISING TIDE OF LEBANESE NATIONALS ARE STILL
VERY MUCH WITH US IN FRANCE, BOTH IN PARIS AND IN THE
PROVINCES (I.E. OUR 5 CONSTITUENT POSTS). IN ADMINISTRA-
TIVE TERMS, THIS HAS MEANT SIGNIFICANT ADDITIONAL STAFF
TIME DEVOTED
TO INTERVIEWING APPLICANTS, ISSUING HURRY-UP VIS AND
RESPONDING TO VOLUMINOUS PUBLIC, CONGRESSIONAL AND
DEPARTMENTAL REQUESTS FOR STATUS REPORTS, REVIEWS AND
JUSTIFICATION OF ACTION TAKEN IN INDIVIDUAL CASES. IN
HUMN AND PUBLIC RELATIOHS TERMS, THE COST HAS BEEN EVEN
GREATER. FOR IT MAKES LITTLE DIFERENCE HOW LONG IS SPENT
IN EXPLAINING ONE'S SYMPATHY WITH THE HUMANITARIAN
SPECTS OF AH INDIVIDUAL CASE IF IN THE EHD THE ANSWER
MUST BE "NO". EMBASSY PARIS OF COUSE ASSUMES THAT THERE
HAS BEEH SOME THOUGHT GIVEH BY THE DEPARTMENT TO THE
METHODS BY WHICH THE CALVANISTIC PRECEPTS OF CURENT LAW
AHD REGULATION MAY BE EFFECTIVELY MODULATED THROUGH
EITHER EXECUTIVE OR CONGRESSIONAL ACTIOH. INDEED, WE HAVE
HEARD THAT THERERE BILLS PEHDING IN THE CONGRESS WHICH
WOULD CREATE A PAROLE PROGRAM FOR THE LEBANESE. IT HAS
ALSO BEEH RUMORED THAT THE DEPARTMENT AND INS HAVE BEEN
ACTIVELY CONSIDERING THE QUESTION OF 7TH PREFERENCE
PROCESSING OF LEBANESE HATIONALS. IF THERE BE SUBSTANCE
TO ANY OF THIS, THE EMBASSY WOULD GREATLY APPRECIATE
BEING INFORMED, SINCE SUCH INFORMATION WOULD GREATLY
ASSIST US IN GIVIHG A FULLY SYMPATHETIC RESPONSE WHEN
CONFRONTING SOME OF THE MORE IHTRACTABLE LEBANESE PRO-
BLEMS WE NOW FACE.
RUSH
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