9,600 Immigration Quota Set for Eight Months

AN EIGHT-MONTH JEWISH IMMIGRATION QUOTA OF 9,600 WAS ANNOUNCED BY THE PALESTINE GOVERNMENT TODAY UNDER ITS NEWLY-ENACTED ORDINANCE EMPOWERING THE HIGH COMMISSIONER TO SET A “POLITICAL MAXIMUM” OF IMMIGRANTS.

THE IMMIGRATION SCHEDULE, COVERING CAPITALISTS, LABORERS AND OTHER CATEGORIES, PROVIDES FOR 1,600 MORE CERTIFICATES THAN PROPOSED IN THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT’S STATEMENT OF POLICY ISSUED ON JULY 8 TOGETHER WITH THE ROYAL COMMISSION REPORT.

AT THE SAME TIME, A STUDY OF THE NEW IMMIGRATION ORDINANCE, PROMULGATED YESTERDAY AS A LAW EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY, REVEALED THAT FOLLOWING STRONG REPRESENTATIONS BY THE JEWISH AGENCY SEVERAL CHANGES HAD BEEN MADE FROM THE DRAFT PUBLISHED IN THE PALESTINE GAZETTE LAST MONTH. THESE ALTERATIONS ARE MAINLY:

1. THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN NATIVE PALESTINE AND ” FOREIGN” JEWS IS OMITTED.

2. MARCH 31, 1938, IS SET FOR THE EXPIRATION OF THE HIGH COMMISSIONER’S POWER TO RESTRICT IMMIGRATION FOR POLITICAL REASONS – THE SAME DATE THAT THE NEW IMMIGRATION SCHEDULE ENDS.

3. A SECTION AUTHORIZING THE HIGH COMMISSIONER TO PRESCRIBE QUOTAS IN THE VARIOUS CATEGORIES OF IMMIGRANTS IS DROPPED.

4. A CLAUSE AUTHORIZING THE DIRECTOR OF IMMIGRATION TO DECIDE IN CASE OF DISPUTE OVER WHETHER A PERSON IS JEWISH IS ALSO DROPPED.

THE NEW IMMIGRATION SCHEDULE, PUBLISHED IN THE GAZETTE, RUNS FROM AUG. 1, 1937 TO MARCH 31, 1938, INCLUDING A SIX-MONTH LABOR IMMIGRATION SCHEDULE FOR THE PERIOD ENDING MARCH 31 OF 1,780 CERTIFICATES. OF THESE, 1,500 ARE ASSIGNED TO THE JEWISH AGENCY AND THE REMAINING 280 TO THE IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT.

THE CERTIFICATES ARE ALLOCATED ACCORDING TO THE FOLLOWING CATEGORIES:

AL, CAPITALISTS — 900; B2, RELIGIOUS FUNCTIONARIES — 250; B3, STUDENTS — 1,440; CL, LABORERS AND DEPENDENTS — 2,380; C2, RELATIVES OF RESIDENTS — 4,570.