AMERICAN C IL Or VOLUNT RY AGF..NCIE.S for Fvreign S~ !CE - Sub-Committee on Cam: S
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AMERICAN C IL or VOLUNT RY AGF..NCIE.S FOR FvREIGN S~ !CE - Sub-Committee on Cam: s. - ~ "'G • / .AMERICAN COUNCIL OF ·VOLUNTARY AGDJC IES FOR FOREIGN SERVICE, INC. 122 East 22 Street. New York 10, New York MINUTF.S Su~Committee on Cam,, s February 13, 1945 Mrs. Schauffler, Chairman of the Interio Committee, !resided in the absense of M~ Bock who_was ex-~ected back from Cincinnati shortly. She introduced Mrs. Silver schoen-H rtz of. Geneva, Executive Director of the International Cocmittee to Secure ]l:r. loymet\t for Refugee Professional Workers, who then gave the following re1-ort on the cam~s in Switzerland, covering not all but the most iml,'ortant i-:ointa: "Switzerland has acce ted during this war the greatest nu:nber of civilian :refugees. At the last ccunt. there were 60.000 civilian and 50,000 ~ilitary refugees, but this number is constantly increasing. In Se~tember of 1942 there had been only 7,500 refugees, which goes to show hew many ti~es this number has been ~ulti1lied since then, and it will kee · growing tn the same ~anner. This growth always tre sents new difficulties tc : ublic and ·, rivate orgt.nizati::.ns. Switzerland was not 1:>re:'arod for this increase in 1 Cf ulati.::.n e.nd it was, therefore, very he.rd at the beginning to set u1 crun: s~ The situation, however, is new under control and ~ere refugees can be absorbed without great disturbance. Any re1 orts that ca.we from refugees in : revious years, describing bad living conditions, were true in 1942, J43, and 144, but are no longer true today. · "Every refugee is interned irEediately u: on entering Switzerland. He is 2ut first in a rece:. t ion cam:· for three weeks; this "!. ericd was f c,rnerly ae:veral months but has now been reduced. HO is examinied for contagious diseases. Since he cannot work in these recer- tion can_s, he has tc · ay 3½ fcs. a day, If he does not have any ooney, the Swiss Governnent advances this an:ount. The rece~tion can: s are military can; a and the only ~- arsons allowed to visit them. are ministers, Rabbis and re:,·, resentatives of children welfare agencies. The ~ail is censored by the military authorities. At the beginni ng they had to slee1 on straw,. but this is ever beco~ing ouch better. "After this initial three-weeks eriod, they are sent to work cam., a, and these who cannot work, to intenmee ~ea. where families live together. Under certain cir CUI:Jatances, students and others are liberated fron the camps. There are 95 cam1Js altogether, com.1. rising 41 work cam1 s and 54 internee h~es. The latter include four kosher ho~es, three ho~es for young ladies, and one sewing circle in Zurich. Refugees of 24 different nationalities are interned in these cae1~s. The Dutch tuld French refugees are treated differently because the Dutch Government vays all fees and the French will be 11 berated soon." At this roint, Mrs. Silverschoen-Hirst read some statistics, giving the total figure of the refugees broken down by nationality. There were 166 Belgians, 109 French, 109 Greeks, '708 Dutch, and 181 stateless Russians. These figures do not include : ~. .. J-riaoners of war and were true of Nov~ber 9; they have l robably changed since then. She continued then, as follows: "The men work on road construction er do agricultural 1\Urk. The salary is l½ fcs. daily, 75% of which is rut into a savings account. They are free four days out of every six weeks, at which tioe they I:'.laY dr4w on their savings account. They are allowed to travel only 35 cilee distant from the C8lnf during their free da,Ys, ex cer t when they receive srecial r emission to see their it::JJ:1ediate fawily. Sme work cqe are barracks, the new ones hotels. In the hotels, four to five ~ersons sle~; in one rooo. They a.re sur ervieed by a Swiss Cam!, Director. The refugees take care of the housework and the ad□ inietration. l,80 fcs. oay be a. ent by each erson for food. Some cani s have Swtss ccolts, but the food is better in the caors vdiere the . -• - z - cooks are refugees. The clothes for work are received from the Government and they must be returned when released. "The situation in the internee homes is much the same, exce-;, t that they are all located in hotels and the refugees have to do housework only. The salary for. that is 20 to 60f a day, half of which is J.: ut into the savings account. The refugee com mittees send : ocket-money into the cam:. s for refugees cf some nationalities, while others are assisted by their own governments. All ~edical fees a.re , aid by the Swiss Government. "Work begins at eight o'clock in the morning, and there a.re two hours off for lunch. The food is served in :tlates in some cam ,. s, in just one ; late with just one s:i; oon in others. Work finishes at five o1 clock and dinner is served at 6 or 6:30 • .Every one has to be in bed by 10 o1clock. "Language courses are ~eing given by refugees. ORT gives courses in sewing, cutting of materials, etc. These courses were first given only in the evenings, but now they a.re also given during the day on certain days. One room is the 11 inf iroerie11 with one refugee doctor and a Swiss doctor who comes once or twice a week. Serious.... ly ill , arsons are sent to hos~ itals. All refugees are insured. Children and mothers live together under much better living conditions than the men. The child ren attend the cao~ schools. There is a large staff of nurses. The various refu gee organizations do all they can to Qake the lot easier for the refugeees in the cam1 s. There are three theatre grou:, s and one J:iusic grouJ: , made u: of refugees, travelling from cami. to camr . There are also lectures in Zionism, etc. The Swiss Government hires speakers to s1eak on education or the Swiss right of asylum. Dis cussions from the floor f~llow. The camr s a.re usually in the mountains, far from the cities, so these are very valuable. Of courm, there is a restriction of ~arsenal freedom and it will, if it goes on, uderraine the 1 eor le•s morale, although the camr directors do everything to make them forgo~ their oiserable situation. The refugee organizations vitlit the cam.1 s .and are 1n continuous ; ersonal contact · with the refugees and the ~opulation is very good and often friendly, but they are all anxious4" waiting for the nooent when they can again ~oturn to their ~ersonal life." Mrs. Schauffler asked for questions, and in answer to such, Mrs. Silverschoen-Hirst added the following inforI!lation: The children over six years of age are placed in various homes. The reason for that is that the internee hooes are high in the oountains where there are no schools, so they are ~ut in hones with families, where they can attend school up through college. They are su-, •ervised by the Red Cross and an organization of ass istance to the children of refugees. (Mrs. Silverschoen gave the Gernan work, 11 Ecligrantenkinderhilfe 11 ) It is very difficult for the children to be thus se1, ara~ fro□ their : a.rents. No excei. tions are made in this. They can see their r arents for four ~s every six weeks. At this ti~e, the Swiss Goverm:J.ent ~ays for their ticket. They can either go to see their r arents, or the ~arents can come to see them, or they can meet at sooe other place. Work in the worlc can;~ s is com~ulsory. The tasks of kee: ing the cam s in ord.er are divided anong the refugees. Those who do not want to work are sent. to prison. Noboczy is allowed to enter the military cao~, s. Only the various agencies are allowed to visit the civilian cam·· s, e:xce1-, t on Sundays when visitors are :.,emit-bed. Married cou1les are together with their children if they are under six yea.rs of age, provided they cannot work and are in internee homes. If they can work, the husbands are separated from their wives, but the caz:ips a.re not far a1.art and they can see each other on Saturdays and Sundays. ... - 3 - Refugees can be released only because of illness or to co11tinue their studies. Medical hel~ is given by the government whenever they need it or when arising from a he~~n,atior. They may be exaoinad by the i hysician trhenever he arrives. However, souei;hing like eyeelasses has to be 1 aid for by the refugees themselves. If they have no money, the rivete agencies will take care of it. They also ~~ the fees nan a refugee is released ar when a four-week vacation is ordered on account of failing health. The children attending schools outside of the CB!!l.i S are taught together with the Swiss children, in the sacie oa.nner, ~din the sacie subjects, going to regular r ublic schools. The schools in the cam s are organized by refugees, but the Swiss Governr.:ient sends somebody to test the children from t 1me to time becauso they want then to £ollow the Swiss educational system.