Jewish Emigration in 1931: Report to Meeting of Hicem

While general emigration has decreased over 60 per cent., Jewish emigration, despite all restrictions upon immigration and despite the economic conditions prevailing in Eastern Europe which hinder the departure of would-be immigrants, has fallen only about 50 per cent., from 39,000 in 1930 to about 20,000 in 1931, M. Eduard Oungre, said in his report on the activities of the Hicem for 1931, submitted to the meeting of the Executive Committee of the Hias-Ica-Emigdirekt (Hicem) which has just been held here, with Dr. J. Blau in the chair.

The decrease was particularly noticeable in the United States, he said, where only 1,006 Jewish immigrants entered in the first four months of the fiscal year 1930-1931. 155 Jewish immigrants were admitted into Canada during the first nine months of the past year. During the same period 2,926 Jewish immigrants entered the Argentine, about 1,600 entered Brazil, and 858 entered Uruguay, and 152 entered Chile between June and October.

Owing to improvements in the work of the Committees, and also the greater need for protection of the emigrants, the number of those who were effectively assisted by the Hicem, it was stated, instead of decreasing in the same measure as Jewish emigration, has on the contrary increased proportionately. The number of immigrants who entered the Argentine in 1930 owing to the intervention of the Hicem Committees, represented 49 per cent. of the Jewish immigration into that country, while in 1931 the proportion was 63 per cent.

The re-emigration movement from South America which had become alarming at the beginning of 1931, has almost completely stopped, thanks to the measures taken on the spot by the Hicem Committees. The establishment of a Hicem Committee in Chile, it is added, gives good prospects of a possibility of taking this country accessible shortly to certain categories of artisans and specially qualified workers. The future in South America, where restrictions on immigration are only temporary, seems, notwithstanding present conditions, to hold good promise, it was stated.