The stockpile of illicit drugs maintained in Afghanistan is a growing problem. Iran’s Law Enforcement Police General Hamid Reza Hossein-Abadi warned there could be devastating consequences as a result.
All applicants for immigrant visas, as well as certain non-immigrant applicants, are required to undergo a medical exam performed by a civil surgeon that has been designated by authorities to be qualified to administer the exams. During the exam, physicians are allowed (and sometimes required) to ask questions about an applicant’s prior or current drug and alcohol use. Pursuant to 42 CFR 34.1, medical examinations are allowable for a.) aliens applying for a visa at an embassy or consulate outside the United States; b) aliens arriving in the United States; c.) aliens required by immigration officials to have a medical exam in connection with determination of their admissibility; and d.) aliens applying for adjustment of status in the US.
The United Kingdom wants to make it very obvious that they do not want drug traffickers to look for refuge or opportunities within their borders. According to a report in The Gov Monitor, Border and Immigration Minister Phil Woolas has confirmed the UKBA as one of the country’s largest law enforcement bodies.
While the UK government is proposing mandatory labeling on all alcoholic beverages in light of a failure by the industry to do so voluntarily; some are arguing much more must be done to battle underage drinking.
Although most immigration attorneys would agree that a single DUI, by itself, should not result in a finding of lack of good moral character in connection with a citizenship application, an examination of US immigration statues, regulations, and guidelines will not reveal any standard definition for good moral character. While Immigration & Nationality Act (INA) section 101(f) contains a list of factors that would preclude a finding of good moral character, it doesn’t mean that other negative attributes cannot torpedo a naturalization case.
Crime and health problems in already unstable states are increasing and drugs are to blame. A recent Reuters report highlighted that West Africans are consuming more of the drugs trafficked between South America and Europe.
If a foreign national triggers one of the US immigration drug-related criminal grounds of inadmissibility (section 212(a)(2) of the Immigration & Nationality Act), he or she could be permanently barred from entering the US. Most drug-related criminal inadmissibility is potentially waivable for non-immigrant visas. Many of those who have been convicted of drug offenses, however, find that immigrant waivers are very hard to come by.
The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is responsible for securing our nation’s borders. Customs & Border Patrol (CBP) is in charge of deciding, ultimately, which foreign nationals are allowed to enter the US, and which items can be brought in. Border agents are particularly concerned with stopping people who are attempting to cross the border without inspection (EWI), as well preventing illicit drugs from entering the country for illegal distribution. CBP is also charged with ensuring that those who arrive at ports of entry are eligible to visit, live or work in America and are not inadmissible. If CBP finds that a foreign national is not admissible to the United States, he or she will be "removed" and sent back home. Some will be afforded a hearing before an immigration judge to plead their case; others will not be. Refusal of entry at the border is one type of the immigration enforcement action we call "deportation".
If Western troops hope to be able to pull out of Afghanistan anytime soon, they may have to settle for being replaced by troops with a drug problem. According to a recent Reuters piece, training Afghan police is a central part of NATO’s strategy to eventually turn over responsibility for security in the country to Afghan forces.
New drug laws in the state of New York are backfiring on officials. According to a report in the New York Post, drug dealers without a drug addiction are lining up for treatment and prosecutors cannot stop them.
