In the final days before a March 21 vote in the House of Representatives, religious groups were working hard to curb what they considered the worst excesses of a bill that would severely restrict refugees' access to asylum in the United States.

Episcopal Migration Ministries (EMM) joined other denominational immigration services in organising campaigns of telephone calls and faxed messages to Congressional representatives to support two amendments to the "Immigration in the National Interest Act of 1995" bill (HR 2202), proposed by Lamar Smith (R- Texas).

One amendment would strike a provision in the bill that would reduce by more than half the number of refugees allowed to enter the United States each year, said Richard Parkins, EMM director. The other would stop proposed cuts in the "preference categories" that allow families to be reunited.

Calling the bill "probably the most damaging pieces of legislation, in terms of its impact on refugees and legal immigration," Mr Parkins said that its affects on refugees and legal immigrants would take years to undo.

`This would make the United States one of the most restrictive and most inhospitable countries in the world as far as refugees and immigrants are concerned,U he said. "It's a bill born of anger and frustration. It's the most mean-spirited pieces of legislation that we've seen for many, many years."

Noting the Episcopal Church's past support for "a generous and humanitarian refugee policy," the Episcopal Church Public Policy Network, which communicates the Church's stated position on social issues, also urged opposition to the bill. "Welcoming strangers is a response to our Christian imperative to care for those in need," a statement from the network said. "We are told that we may be serving angels when we open our doors to strangers."

Religious groups also have opposed provisions of the bill that would deny refugees the right to political asylum if they fail to apply within 30 days of arriving. Refugees also would be denied access to political asylum if they arrive at a port of entry without proper documents and are unable to convince an immigration officer that they have a "credible fear" of persecution.