IMMIGRATION LAWS TOUGHER ELSEWHERE, STUDY REPORTS.

Byline: LISA FRIEDMAN Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON -- Japan, Switzerland, Egypt, Sweden and Mexico have tougher immigration laws than the U.S., says a study commissioned by the author of a controversial House bill that would criminalize illegal immigrants.

The report, issued Friday by the Law Library of Congress, also examined Brazil in a six-country survey aimed at examining the ramifications of proposed laws now under debate in Congress dealing with America's estimated 12 million illegal immigrants.

House Judiciary Committee Chairman James Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., pointed to the findings -- particularly those in Japan and Switzerland, both with strict anti-illegal immigration laws and enforcement -- as proof that getting tough on illegal immigrants works.

All except Brazil provide criminal sanctions ranging from three months to three years for illegal entry and presence, the study found.

``With all the blustery rhetoric coming from opponents about a `harsh' and `Draconian' House bill and the pontificating coming from foreign officials about how the U.S. should structure and enforce its immigration policies, I note that five out of the six countries studied -- including Mexico -- make illegal entry and unlawful presence a criminal offense,'' Sensenbrenner said in a statement.

``In reality,'' he said, ``the House bill would bring U.S. immigration law more in line with most countries.''

The measure passed last year by the House would make it a felony to be in the U.S. illegally. Currently, unlawful presence is a civil offense.

The measure also would beef up sanctions for those who knowingly hire illegal immigrants, and give the green light to building a fence along 700 miles of Mexican border.

The Senate remains in a political logjam over several proposals that, unlike the House version, offer some type of legal status to illegal immigrants.

Sensenbrenner said he was particularly impressed by Japan's employer-sanction laws -- a maximum of three years in prison and a $25,000 fine. In 2004, the study found, Japan held 55,351 deportation proceedings that resulted in more than 42,000 deportation orders.

``Japan's tough sanctions against employers of illegal (immigrants) are effective in preventing illegal immigration. Therefore, the House's efforts to stiffen penalties against employers hiring illegal workers can help shut off the job magnet that lures millions of immigrants to enter the U.S. illegally,'' he said.

Immigration-rights activists dismissed the parallels, particularly between Japan and Switzerland, as ridiculous.

``All of these countries have such an incredibly different context in which they operate,'' said Marshall Fitz, director of the American Immigration Lawyers Association in D.C.

``Japan is an island. Switzerland has a tiny economy,'' he said. ``That jump to the `therefore,' that's astounding they would even let this be issued in a press release.''

lisa.friedman(at)langnews.com

[phone]