Both Pro-refugee and Anti-immigration Bills Seen Doomed in Present Congress

Faced with a world-wide refugee problem unprecedented in history, interested members of the 76th Congress have introduced much legislation to expedite U.S. refugee aid, but it is expected that the sum total of action obtained will be insignificant. Balancing this factor, however, is the fact that legislation which might be characterized as anti refugee likewise has failed to make any headway.

Prospects for a drive to amend U.S. immigration laws to permit greater U.S. participation in the handling of this problem hinges greatly upon the success the State and other departments will have during the next few months in providing and with existing authorization, legislators familiar with the refugee cause declared.

Greater stress has been laid on the necessity for speeding up the clearance of emergency visitors visas to anti Fascist refugees and the establishment of additional colonization projects in both North and South America. “If the Interior Department could succeed in its effort to establish the Virgin Islands as a refugee haven it would help matters greatly “Senator Wagner of New York declared.

Privately, many of the Congressmen supporting U.S. refugee aid expressed the hope that no legislation would be necessary in the immediate future, voicing the fear that a Congressional fight on the issue would do the refugee cause “more harm than good.” was admitted, however, that eventual legislation granting permanent entry to refugees under emergency visas would be necessary.

No law is expected to be passed in this Congress either to expedite U.S. aid to refugees or further to increase barriers against them. Some measures in the former category have made some progress this session and high hopes are held for early action next year.

Legislation authorizing the establishment of a refugee colonization project in Alaska still remains unreported before the Senate Committee on Insular Affairs, although lengthy hearings were held on the measure months ago, Despite the presently of adjournment Interior Department sponsors of the measure are still working to obtain a committee report. While the bill will have to start from scratch next session it is pointed out a favorable Senate committee report is calculated to aid it.

After a lengthy hearing before the House Immigration Committee legislation sponsored by Senator Wagner and Rep. Dickstein authorizing immediate ad? of 10,000 German refugee children made no further progress. Although this measure as well as several other bills to admit children of other nations, would have little point at this time in view of the German Government’s refusal to guarantee their safety in transit, Senator Wagner said he intended to press for action next session in the hope and expectation that conditions may change.

The Celler bill, authorizing permanent status for refugees entering this country under emergency visas, was introduced too late in the session for any hope of action this year.

A more than usual number of bills to increase immigration restrictions, in the face of the growing refugee problem were introduced in the 76th Congress.

As usual, Senator Robert R. Reynolds, of North Carolins, was most active in this field, introducing measures which would bar immigration for the next 10 years, and immigrants who have dependents abroad, deport all non-citizens who are on relief and make the employment of American citizens mandatory wherever possible.

Senator Holman of Oregon was even more far-reaching in legislation which would direct the State Department to negotiate treaties with other Western Hemisphere nations designed to prohibit all immigration into the Americas and nearby islands.

Duplicates of these bills and many other similar measures were introduced on the House side, although none reached House or Senate consideration. Their sponsors make it clear there will be no let-up on this front in the next Congress.