INFORMATION Itsued Ir the ASSOCIATION of JEWISH REFUGEES in GREAT &RITAIN 8, FAIRFAX MANSIONS, FINCHLEY ROAD ( FA.RF°AX'ioad ) LONDON
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Vol. IV. No. 12 DECEMBER [)949 INFORMATION ItSUED ir THE ASSOCIATION OF JEWISH REFUGEES IN GREAT &RITAIN 8, FAIRFAX MANSIONS, FINCHLEY ROAD ( FA.RF°AX'IOAD ) LONDON. N.W.3 Oflkt and Cormiltini Hmn: 10 s.m.—I p.m., i—i p.m.. Sundajr 10 Lim.—I p.m. T*ltpl»n»: MAIda Vale «09« " THIS BLESSED PLOT" RECENT Report of the Under-Secretary of A State for the Home Orfice, published in this issue, reveals that in the course of the last four years JOURNEY'S END about 365,000 persons were admitted to this country or. a more or less permanent basis. Considering the A few weeks ago, the International Refugee After much bargaining, the constitution fact that, unlike countries overseas. Great Britain Organisation (IRO) presented its report ; was finally sanctioned by the General is not a typical country of immigration, this is a very though it is meant to cover only the fiscal Assembly of U.N. on 1.5th December, 1946. fine record indeed. year 1st July, 1948, to 30th June, 1949, it On 1st July, 1947, IRO took over from Jew's from Central Europe will always gratefully narrates, in fact, the gradual solution of a UNRRA. At that time, about 720,000 DPs remember that they owe their lives to the generous problem which has been standing in the fore and refugees, a quarter of them Jewish, lived immigration policy of the United Kingdom before ground since the end of hostilities. At that in Assembly Centres. Altogether the number war broke out. The post-war policy is determined time, about eight million foreign people were of persons coming under IRO's care amounted by economic rather than by humanitarian principles. found in Germany, Austria and Italy. It is to 1,300,000. Two years later, on 30th June, This is, inter alia, indicated by the fact that of a one of the ironies of history that the totali 1949, it had decreased to about 590,000, total of 365,000 post-war immigrants, only 5,600 tarian states, which had expelled hundreds whereas about 600,000 men, women and came over under the so-called Distressed Relatives of thousands of their own citizens, became, children had, with IRO's help, been resettled Scheme. Difiiculties sometimes experienced by the after the war, the largest reservoirs of AJR arise for survivors of the Concentration Camps in other countries (540,000) or repatriated who are anxious to leave the Continent and to join refugees and displaced persons. Amongst (60,000). their relatives in this country, if they are not old those homeless men, women and children Altogether, 85 countries accepted DPs or enough to be covered by the Distressed Relatives were prisoners of war, forced labourers and refugees. Amongst them, Israel has the Scheme, and if their admission as employees is ham survivors of the extermination camps. Most largest share. It was the destination of about pered by their vocational background. of them came from Eastern European coun 120,000 out of the 540,000 resettled DPs. There is no general solution for these " hard core " tries. The majority, about seven millions, The bulk of them (105,000) emigrated be cases. One can only hope that the tradition of the returned home as soon as this became possible. tween 1st July, 1948, and 30th June, 1949, United Kingdom as a country of asylum, recalled by •One million, however, felt for one reason or i.e., after the estabUshment of the Jewish the Under-Secretary in the course of his Statement, another, unable to " go home." At the State. According to the Report, it is expected will be extended to them beginning, they became the responsibility of that an additional 20,000 Jewish refugees RIGHTS AND DUTIES UNRRA, but as UNRRA was due to wind will be settled in Israel during the fiscal year T has always been one of the objects of the AJR up on 1st July, 1947, the United Nations 1949-50. I to watch the interests of Jewish Nazi victims in set up a special Committee in April, 1946, questions of restitution. As soon as the political which was to draft a constitution for an Other countries of reception were, in the situation permitted, contacts were established with International Refugee Organisation (IRO). first fiscal year, mainly European countries, the appropriate quarters and proposals for legislation such as the United Kingdom, Belgium, Everybody who, in those spring days of France and the Netherlands, whereas the submitted. As early as March, 1947, when the dis 1946, attended the Committee sessions in cussions on restitution laws were still in an initial second year brought a striking shift of stage, the AJR set up a special Restitution Depart Church House, London, will have felt a deep emphasis towards overseas resettlements, ment, which obtained official recognition by the sense of frustration. Whilst human beings because then, apart from Israel, Australia Foreign Office. This department, solely adminis were in urgent need of constructive help, the and the United States started to take vast tered and financed by the AJR, became the nucleus Committee indulged in eridless debates on numbers of DPs. of the International " United Restitution Office " points of order, questions of precedence and Continued on Page 2 (URO), whose Headquarters and London office are formulations of paragraphs. The deeper closely linked up with the AJR. reason for these debates was, however, a Gradually, due to the initiative and the efforts of fundamental difference of principles. It was Very Important the AJR and the " United Restitution Office," legis the difference between East and West.* The lation has made headway. There are now laws on Eastern countries were anxious to restrict restitution of identifiable property for all three the categories of people who should enjoy Western Zones and for Western Berlin, and an IRO'S protection. Most DPs, they argued, Xne Xime Limit Indemniiication Law (Entschaedigungsgesetz) for could return to their countries of origin, for fihng claims for restitution of the American Zone. 'Leaving aside the special which were in urgent need of workers. Those identifiable property in the position of Soviet-controlled Germany, legislation who did not want to return, they maintained, —at least in its main outlines—will have been com British Zone of Germany might have special reasons for their attitude, expires on pleted with Indemnification Laws also for the British they were mainly Fascists or collaborators. and French Zones and for Western Berlin. The Western countries, on the other hand, 31st DecemW, 1949 The ultimate materialisation of the claims de held the view that lack of sympathy with the pends, of course, not on legislation alone. There are new Eastern regimes was not necessarily many questions which will have to be tackled by Forms which have to he sent in TrifUcat' interpretation of the laws and by decisions of the identical with Fascist or pro-Fascist trends. to the " Zentralamt fuer Vermoegens-uer- ivaltung"BadNenndorJ, Land Niedersachsen, Courts, and there is, finally, the practical one of With regard to the Jewish DPs, East and West agreed that the Jews could not be British Zone, are available at the " United transfer. AU.these circumstances make it imperative Restitution Office " for every claimant to take a realistic view. This expected to return to countries where they should, however, not discourage him, to fight for his had lost their nearest ones and where they Please, inform your friends, especially rights. Everybody who forfeits his claim, does not themselves had suffered persecution and old people or youngsters, who are heirs only harm to himself, but sanctions the wrongs humiliation under the Nazis. This concep of property that may be claimed. Claims inflicted upon the Jews by the Nazis and limits the tion was, however, of limited practical value not lodged by 31st December, 1949, will practical value of the laws promulgated in the in those days, because the immigration be forfeited interest of the persecutees. restrictions for Palestine were still in force. Page 2 AJR INFORMATION December, 1949 In ParUament RESTITUTION NEWS BRITAIIS'S IMMIGRATION POLICY American Indemnification Law According to the American Indemnification Law, On November 4, the Under-Secretary of State, Under the so-caUed " European Volunteer the " Laender " in the American Zone are Uable for Mr. Younger, outlined the present immigration Workers Scheme " 83,000 workers and 3,500 depen " indemnification " (Entschaedigung) in money for policy of the Home Office. dants came over between October 1946 and August certain types of damages suffered under the Nazis He stated that the number of aliens who were 1949. (see September issue of " AJR Information "). The aUowed to land in the United Kingdom in 1948—the Furthermore, 90,500 ahens were admitted for " Laender " have now set up offices with which vast majority of whom were here for short periods work under Ministry of Labour permits between May claims have to be lodged and which are also issuing —was 657 661. There were only just over 2,000 1946 and August 1949. Generally speaking, they the necessary forms. refusals. The Home Office had to be rather re can only take jobs for which it is not easy to find strictive in tne admission of visitors from countries employees already here. It is expected that about The addresses of the offices are as follows : behind the Iron Curtain, because it has been 10% of the total will become permanently resident Bavaria: Bayerisches Landesamt fuer Wiedergut experienced that they were either unable or reluctant in this country. machung, Arcis Strasse 11, Muenchen 2; Hesse: to go back. Hessisches Staatsministerium, Der Minister des The Under-Secretary of State also mentioned that Innern, Abteilung Wiedergutmachung, Wilhelm There is no absolute bar for a holder of a visitor's new aliens for permanent residence have been taken strasse 24, Wiesbaden; Wuerttemberg: Landes- visa to his applying and, in proper cases, being from the Polish Army and their dependants, bezirksstelle fuer Wiedergutmachung, Gerokstrasse granted leave to stay on.