More than 600 refugees, 150 of them Jewish, who have been stranded at the French West African port of Dakar since January, will be moved to Portuguese Guiana, from where they will be permitted to proceed to Lisbon, the Joint Distribution Committee learned here today.
The refugees have been held all this time aboard the 12,000-ton French steamer Alsina on which they sailed from Marseille for South America on Jan. 15. While the steamer was on the high seas, it received orders on Jan. 23 to put in at Dakar, the French authorities apparently fearing that the Alsina might be intercepted and seized by the British Navy.
About 50 of the Jewish refugees on the Alsina, upon reaching Lisbon, could immediately continue their voyage to South America on neutral steamers. The cost of continuing the voyage for the 50 would amount to over $10,000 which the J.D.C. is being asked to supply through the HIAS-ICA.
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