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Britain Rejects Jewish Agency Demand for New Palestine Immigration Certificates

April 1, 1945
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Declaring that the British Goverment has information that “a great many Jewish refugees do not want to proceed to Palestine,” Lord Devonshire, Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Colonial Affairs, yesterday announced in the House of Lords that the Colonial Office has rejected a demand of the Jewish Agency for extra immigration certificates in addition to the quota assigned under the terms of the White Paper.

The rejection of the Agency’s demand should not be interpreted as indicating a lack of sympathy for the Jews in Europe, Lord Devonshire said. As far as the allocation of palestine immigration certificates is concerned, “the Jewish Agency had what if asked for,” he declared. He added that rejection of the demand for new cartificates was also motivated by the fact that Palestine’s physical capacity does not permit the admission of more refugees from Europe.

Lord Strabolgi, emphasizing the plight of the Jews in liberated territories, protested against the transfer of rescued European Jews to an UNRRA camp in Algiers. He appealed to the British Government for the immediate issuance of immigration certificates to bring these Jews to Palestine.

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