INTERNATIONAL ACTION AS THE ONLY SOLUTION TO THE INCREASINGLY GRAVE PROBLEM OF GERMAN REFUGEES IS URGED IN A PESSIMISTIC ANNUAL REPORT SUBMITTED TODAY TO THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS ASSEMBLY BY SIR NEILL MALCOLM, LEAGUE HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES FROM GERMANY.
THE REPORT PUTS AT 16,000 THE NUMBER OF REFUGEES WHO LEFT GERMANY SINCE LAST SEPTEMBER. AT THE SAME TIME IT NOTES AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF REFUGEES RESIDING IN EUROPE AND NOT PERMANENTLY SETTLED, THEIR TOTAL NOW REACHING 35,000. THOSE IN A PRECARIOUS POSITION TOTAL 20,000, THE REPORT STATES, 5,000 HAVING BEEN ADDED TO THIS CATEGORY IN THE YEAR UNDER REVIEW.
TO EASE THE SITUATION, SIR NEILL RECOMMENDS THE FOLLOWING COURSE OF ACTION:
1–CONCLUSION OF INTERNATIONAL ARRANGEMENTS AFFECTING GERMAN REFUGEES;
2–GOVERNMENTS TO UNDERTAKE NOT TO APPLY IMMIGRATION RESTRICTIONS TOO STRICTLY;
3–CONVOCATION BY THE ASSEMBLY OF AN INTER-GOVERNMENTAL CONFERENCE ON ADOPTION OF AN INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION IN BEHALF OF REFUGEES FROM GERMANY;
4–CREATION OF A SYSTEM WHEREBY THE GOVERNMENTS, TOGETHER WITH THE HIGH COMMISSIONER, COOPERATE WITH WELFARE AGENCIES FOR THE PURPOSE OF ENSURING EMIGRATION OF REFUGEES INTO COUNTRIES PREPARED TO RECEIVE THEM;
5–ADOPTION BY THE GOVERNMENTS OF COUNTRIES WHERE REFUGEES ARE NOW RESIDING OF EVERY MEASURE FOR ASSISTANCE, SUCH AS TECHNICAL PREPARATION, PROFESSIONAL RETRAINING, ETC.
WHILE THE GENERAL SITUATION HAS UNDERGONE NO MARKED CHANGE IN THE PAST YEAR, THE REPORT STATES, “NO APPRECIABLE PROGRESS HAS BEEN MADE IN THE EMIGRATION AND SETTLEMENT OF REFUGEES.”
“THIS,” ACCORDING TO SIR NEILL, “IS DOUBTLESS DUE TO THE FACT THAT RESTRICTIVE MEASURES HAVE BEEN TAKEN IN THIS MATTER AND ARE STILL IN FORCE IN ALL COUNTRIES THAT ADOPTED THEM WHILE OTHER COUNTRIES WHICH UNTIL RECENTLY PURSUED A DIFFERENT POLICY HAVE NOW ALSO FELT COMPELLED TO ADOPT STRICTER MEASURES OF CONTROL. EMIGRATION PROSPECTS ARE THEREFORE SERIOUSLY AFFECTED.”
THE REPORT STATES SETTLEMENT OF REFUGEES ON A CONSIDERABLE SCALE IS RULED OUT FOR THE PRESENT. IT POINTS OUT THAT THIS IS RESULTING IN AN INCREASING RATE OF IMMIGRATION INTO CERTAIN COUNTRIES ADJACENT TO GERMANY AND IS LEADING TO A SERIOUS SITUATION.
THE REPORT EMPHASIZES THAT AS LONG AS INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION IN THIS SPHERE DOES NOT BECOME EFFECTIVE EVERY ATTEMPT TO IMPROVE REFUGEE CONDITIONS RUNS THE DANGER OF NULLIFICATION.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
