Immigration quotas for 1940, indicating liberalization of the Government’s entry policy in some respects and tightening in others, have been published in the Official Gazette.
Admission of persons in the capitalist category has been made more difficult by raising of the minimum capital requirements, while more lenient terms for entry of certain categories of relatives have been set down.
During 1940, Mexico will admit 1,000 immigrants from each of the following countries: Germany, Belgium, Czecho-Slovakia (listed as a separate country); Denmark, France, Holland England, Italy, Japan, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland. Immigration from the American continent, Spain and Portugal will remain unlimited as previously. Entry from all other countries will be limited to 100 each.
Because of revaluation of the peso, capitalists applying for admission to Mexico will henceforth be required to possess a minimum of 20,000 instead of 5,000 pesos, as formerly. Persons intending to engage in the export trade will be required to have at least 50,000 pesos. Those planning to do business in Mexico City will be obliged to show a minimum capital of 100,000 pesos.
In the category of relatives, sisters of immigrants in Mexico will be admitted, provided they are unmarried (including divorcees, widows and their children) and can show they are without means of support in the countries of their present residence. Previously this category was limited to minors.
A separate category has been introduced for “stateless” persons, who will be admitted at the discretion of the Interior Minister, who will use as his criterion the potential value of the applicant to Mexican-economy or culture. Immigrants who can show they are free of racial prejudices, and are willing to intermarry with Mexicans and become Mexican citizens, will be given preference.
To further Mexican assimilation plans, agricultural immigrants are obliged to settle in colonies where the basis of distribution must be one native living between two immigrants.
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.
