A new immigration bill, whose preface states that it is not aimed against any race or religion, is expected to be debated in Congress in a few days. The legislation was sent to Congress by President Pedro Aguirre Cerda with a request for urgent action.
Pending adoption of the new law Chilean consulates abroad have been instructed to issue no immigration visas.
The debate over immigration continues to rage in the press. The pro-Nazi newspaper Trabajo reported, under sensational headlines, that 3,000 Jews had entered Chile from Bolivia after remaining there six months to become citizens. This was denied by the Foreign Ministry, which pointed out that Bolivian law requires three years’ residence for naturalization and that Chilean consulates in South America were not issuing visas.
Another aspect of the controversy is a letter of the former Chilean consul at Bremen, Germany, published here, which accuses ex-Foreign Minister Abraham Ortega of irregularities in distribution of visas.
The weekly newspaper Civilization, organ of the Chilean Anti-Racist Institute, has started a campaign for the opening of Chile to immigration. In a front-page article headlined “Chile Needs Immigrants,” the paper declares that the country’s tourist trade could be built up and industry expanded through immigration. Dr. Rene Vall Osorio, physician, is president of the institute, succeeding Dr. Christobal Saenz, who resigned when he became Foreign Minister.
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