Trump wants merit-based immigration programme, not visa lottery system

Washington, December 15: US President Donald Trump sought to replace chain migration and visa lottery with a merit-based immigration programme, which if approved by Congress might be to the benefit of technology professionals from countries like India.

"We're calling for Congress to end chain migration, and to end the visa lottery system, and replace it with a merit- based system of immigration," Trump said in his address to the FBI National Academy Graduation Ceremony in Quantico, Virginia. "We have witnessed recently, America faces grave threats. Terrorists have struck in the streets and subways of New York City twice in a few months.

Both terrorists came to our country through the dysfunctional immigration system that we are correcting, and rapidly," Trump said. One came through chain migration and the other through the visa lottery, he said.

"They have a lottery. You pick people. You think the country's giving us their best people? No. What kind of a system is that? They come in by a lottery. They give us their worst people...the worst of the worst," he said.

Trump said as president, his greatest duty is to protect the country and its people.

"If we want to bring down violent crime, then we must stand up for our police. All of us gathered here today share a common goal: We want every child to be able to walk safely home from school, and we want every mother and father to know that their children will be secure when they tuck them in at night," he said.

"No family should have to worry about bullets flying through windows, or gangs recruiting on street corners. Every American child should be able to grow up in a safe community, surrounded by a loving family, and preparing to embark on a bright, beautiful future," he added.

PTI