U.S. Newswire - Amnesty International USA: End of Special Registration Welcome but Will it End Discriminatory Treatment?: "WASHINGTON, Dec. 1 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Amnesty International USA Senior Deputy Executive Director, Curt Goering, released the following statement regarding today's announcement by the US Department of Homeland Security that it would no longer require the 'special' registration under the National Security Entry Exit Registration System (NSEERS) of Middle Eastern, South Asian and Muslim men:
The end of NSEERS, as we know it, is a welcome step toward closing the gap between recognizing basic human rights principles of non-discrimination and the disparate treatment of a selected group of non-citizens in US policy. But today's announcement does not guarantee individuals targeted under NSEERS will not continued to be singled out for scrutiny in the 'war on terror.'
Although the US government claims to be ending the special registration requirements under NSEERS, the men from 24 predominately Muslim countries in the Middle East and South Asia will still be required to register under US-Visit, the program replacing NSEERS. Serious questions remain as to whether or not these individuals, after registering, will continue to receive disparate treatment under US policy. During the implementation of NSEERS, more than 80,000 individuals complied with the program's registration requirements and, subsequently, hundreds of them were detained and more than 13,000 were placed in deportation proceedings."