WASHINGTON, Dec 15: Some Muslim visitors to the United States must register with the Immigration and Naturalization Service by Monday while others have two more weeks to register.

Emphasizing the urgency of this matter, Muslim community leaders have urged Imams (prayer leaders) at mosques across the United States to remind Muslims that they may face deportation if they fail to register.

The INS recently decided to require non-immigrant visitors from 18 primarily Muslim countries to register with the department. There are hundreds of mosques across the United States for an estimated 7 million Muslims in the country. “These announcement should also be posted in a prominent public location in all mosques, Muslim schools and Islamic centres,” said Ibrahim Hooper of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.

According to the new regulation, all male non-immigrant visitors to the United States from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Syria or Sudan, 16 years of age or older, who entered the United States on or before Sept 10, 2002, must register with the INS by Dec. 16, 2002.

Male non-immigrant aliens who are nationals or citizens of Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, Eritrea, Lebanon, Morocco, North Korea, Oman, Qatar, Somalia, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, or Yemen, 16 years of age or older, and who entered the United States before Sept 30, 2002, must register with the INS by Jan 10, 2003.

Failure to register by the deadline may make those who fit the above criteria subject to deportation. Those who are out of status and appear for registration may be detained while the INS conducts a background check.

The requirement to register with INS does NOT apply to US citizens, lawful permanent residents (green card-holders), refugees, asylum applicants, asylum grantees, diplomats, or others admitted under “A” or “G” visas.

Most of those affected are students, businessmen and family visitors.