The man who can't go home.
10 November 2012 | Pago Pago, American Samoa
Sunny
About ten years ago, Sebastian emigrated from Uzbekistan to the United States. He did it all within the guide lines of the United States government and eventually got his "green card" allowing him to live in and work in the US. About a year ago, he decided to go on vacation. His destination--American Samoa. He wrote letters to the government of American Samoa as well as the US government and both assured him that there would be no problem with him going there.
Once his vacation was over, he attempted to board his flight to go back to the US. He was denied boarding and escorted off the plane. His paperwork didn't allow him go back the US, where he had lived for the last TEN YEARS! He was suddenly stuck. The American Samoan government said there was nothing they could do and the US government said he had "left the United States" and they wouldn't allow him back in. For the last year, he has spent his days sitting in McDonalds using the internet to keep himself occupied.
This last week, it was announced on the radio that he was now in need of surgery. The American Samoa government is denying him the surgery as he is not a citizen of American Samoa and is not considered a citizen of the United States(still has his Green Card). Apparently the rules that the American Samoan government is supposed to follow(according to international law)is that if they refuse to allow him to have his surgery, they are supposed to return him to the last country where he spent a length of time--The UNITED STATES!!!
Now it up in the air as to what will happen next. No government official--here or in the United States is taking any responsibility for what has happened to him. It's the other government's responsibility. Are we surprised!!!? I think probably not.
On a side note, there is now going to be a case brought to the United States courts about the US citizenship of people born in the American Samoa. It's been part of the US for more than 100 years. Apparently, you can be born here, have a US passport but you are not a citizen of the United States. Apparently, this was a policy decided by the US Navy back in the early 1920's when some of the citizens wanted to come to the US mainland and were denied access. When the original treaty was signed giving ownership to the US, the natives were under the impression that they would then become citizens of the US. No so apparently. Let's chalk these two items up the our respective governments in action. Or better yet--inaction!