Ninety-three of the 1,500 Jews interned on the island of Nauritius, off Madagascar in the Indian Ocean, have died, while 93 have left the island to join the British armed forces, it was disclosed in Commons today by Colonial Minister Col. Oliver Stanley. The Mauritius internees are Jewish refugees who were apprehended when they attempted to enter Palestine without visas. Most of them have been on the island more than three years.
Stanley said that 224 men had volunteered for service in the armed forces, of whom 149 were accepted. Of these 93 have left the island to join military units, while an additional 56 await transportation. Sixty-four women, he said, have offered their services to the war effort, and their proposal is being considered. Aside from those who have departed for military service only six internees have been permitted to leave, Col. Stanley said.
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