Stern measures have been taken by the Hungarian Government to prevent further illegal emigration of Jews from that country to Israel, Dr. Kurt Lewin, Israeli Representative in Austria, said today in an exclusive interview.
A recent survey among the 130,000 Jews living in Hungary revealed that about 50,000 expressed a desire to leave for Israel. The Israeli envoy in Hungary is now negotiating with the government in an effort to obtain final permission for the departure of 30,000 Hungarian Jews, as previously authorized by the Cabinet. So far, however, the government refuses to permit any such migration.
Dr. Lewin voiced the belief that no "illegal" departure from Hungary to Austria via Czechoslovakia would be possible in the near future. The Budapest Government has" tightened border controls on the Czechoslovakia frontier and has also demanded that the Prague authorities return Jewish refugees in that country Dr. Lewin said. Some groups of Hungarian Jews are now staying in Czechoslovak villages, having recently crossed the border. There is considerable doubt here whether Czechoslovakia will permit them to continue their Journey to Austria.
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