July 26, 2009 (WASHINGTON) — The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will publish a notice on Monday announcing the extension of a special status for certain Somali nationals living in the US until March 17, 2011.

The Temporary Protected Status (TPS) granted to some Somali nationals living in the US was due to expire in September 17, 2009.

The notice signed by the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Janet Napolitano justified the extension by saying that “Somalia remains in a state of chaos characterized by the lack of central government; a crippled economy, the absence of civil structures, destruction of infrastructure; and generalized insecurity in the form of banditry, kidnapping, looting, revenge killings, targeted assassinations, suicide car-bombings, and inter-clan fighting,”.

“Almost 750,000 people fled Mogadishu to escape the fighting between April and July 2008….The intensifying conflict, drought, increased food prices, the targeting of humanitarian workers, and growing piracy off the Somali coast have exacerbated the humanitarian toll on the Somali people” Napolitano stated in an advance copy of the notice obtained by Sudan Tribune.

Following the publication of the notice in the Federal register on Monday qualified Somalis may file registration applications for TPS with USCIS during the 60 days registration period that starts Monday.

Pursuant to the USCIS announcement the work authorizations for Somali nationals currently under TPS has been automatically extended till March 17, 2009 to prevent lapse in employment while applications are being processed. The work permits have an expiration date of September 17, 2009.

TPS is a temporary immigration status granted to nationals of designated countries as part of the US Immigration Act of 1990.

The US Congress established a procedure by which the Attorney General (subsequently the DHS Secretary) may provide TPS to aliens in the United States who are temporarily unable to safely return to their home country because of ongoing armed conflict, the temporary effects of an environmental disaster, or other extraordinary and temporary conditions.

During the period for which a country has been designated under the TPS program, the registrants are allowed to remain in the United States and obtain work authorization and may not be deported unless they commit certain crimes.

However, TPS does not lead to permanent residence in the US, which is better known as the ‘green card’. Several bills in the US Congress to grant permanent residence to some TPS beneficiaries have stalled amidst growing anti-immigrant sentiment in the country.

Currently nationals of Burundi, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Sudan are also covered by the program.

Eligibility for TPS is limited to Somali nationals who entered the country on or before September 4, 2001. The immigration body states that an individual who has been convicted in the United States of either a felony or two or more misdemeanors is not eligible for TPS.

Somalia was initially designated for TPS in 1991 and was subsequently extended throughout the years. There are approximately 250 nationals of Somalia covered by the program currently.

(ST)