Colonial Secretary Malcolm MacDonald told the House of Commons today that 1,229 Jewish illegal immigrants were prevented from landing in Palestine from Feb. 15 to April 15. In a written reply to a question, Mr. MacDonald furnished the following outline of the Government’s action to check illegal immigration:
Two hundred and sixty-nine Jews were prevented from landing from the S.S. Sandu on March 21. The vessel was ordered to return to Constanza, Rumania, its port of departure, and was escorted to the limit of Palestine territorial waters on March 25 after being supplied with food for five days by the Jewish Agency and with drinking water by the port authorities.
On April 2 the S.S. Astir tried unsuccessfully to land 710 Jews, 698 of them German The vessel was sailing under the Greek flag and had left the Piraeus early in March for the port of Reni on the Danube where, with the master’s permission, Jewish passengers were embarked with the intention of landing clandestinely in Palestine. The Astir was ordered to return to Reni and was escorted to the limit of Palestine territorial waters on April ? after being supplied with food for five days by the Jewish Agency and with water by the Haifa port authorities. Five Jews, certified as unfit to travel, were detained and are receiving medical care. One of these has been sent into detention under emergency regulations. The captain of the vessel said he had no complaint to make regarding these arrangements.
Two hundred and fifty Jews were prevented from landing from the S.S. Assimi on April 11. The vessel and its passengers were detained in Haifa harbor and after being ordered to leave sailed from there on April 23. Six Jews out of 80 who succeeded in landing prior to the capture of the ship are under arrest and the case is under investigation. The passengers and crew have been supplied with food by the Jewish community and with water by the port authorities. In the future, the statement said, would-be illegal immigrants will be supplied with food and water during their detention in a harbor and for the return voyage by the Palestine Government.
On April 15 another vessel, the S.S. Panaggio Conestria, with 182 Jews aboard, was captured at Haifa. Attempts to compel the vessel to leave port were frustrated by the action of the passengers and it was impossible to send the ship and cargo to sea or keep them indefinitely in the harbor. The Jewish passengers are being removed to a quarantine station where they will be guarded and fed by the Palestine Government, it was announced. The Jews will be prosecuted and the master and crew of the ship interned.
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.
