The first group of 36 Jewish refugees left Shanghai this week for Australia, it was announced here today. They will be followed by several hundred more within the next few months as shipping facilities become available.
About 12,000 Jewish refugees here are still dependent on relief, which they receive from the Joint Distribution Committee, and most of them are looking forward to emigration since there are no prospects for them to become integrated economically. In addition, the Chinese Government has made it clear that it does not want European refugees, except those who can contribute to China’s rehabilitation.
Representatives of the Intergovernmental Committee on Refugees are now studying the problem of the Jewish refugees, most of whom fled from Germany, Austria and Poland. Charles Jordan, a representative of the Joint Distribution Committee, believes that it will be possible to evacuate all the Jewish refugees from Shanghai within two years.
As matters stand today, many of the refugees can go to Australia and others to Latin American countries. But very few Latin American countries maintain consulates here. Thus it is very difficult to secure visas to these countries, even when the applicants receive notification from the governments concerned that visas have been approved for them. In order to receive a visa to some of the South and Central American countries, refugees would have to go to Chungking, and in some cases to Moscow or to San Francisco where the nearest consulate is situated.
Several hundred Jewish refugees are now working for the American armed forces, while some have found other jobs. But of the 15,000 Jewish refugees in Shanghai no more than 3,000 are able to support themselves. The J.D.C. is, therefore, spending $100,000 a month on medical and other aid for them, in addition to food and clothing which they receive from UNRRA.
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