An agreement to facilitate the movement of Jewish refugees from International Refugee Organization camps in Germany and Austria to Israel was reached here today by the Joint Distribution Committee, the I.R.O. and the Italian Government. Meanwhile, 1,500 Jewish refugees from Austria, Tripoli and Italy today sailed from Naples and Bari for Haifa.
The accord stipulates that approximately 10,000 displaced persons, both Jews and non-Jews, will embark each month for the remainder of this year at Naples for transfer to overseas areas. They will be enabled to make brief stopovers in I.R.O. camps in Naples prior to embarkation. At the present time there is no decision as to the percentage of Israel-bound DP’s who will be included in this plan.
Chief reason for this new agreement, it is pointed out here, is that the French Mediterranean ports, which have hitherto borne the brunt of the refugee immigration program, are now greatly congested. It is expected that when the agreement is put into effect the number of Jews in I.R.0. camps in Italy will reach 5,000. The present number of Jewish refugees in camps in this country is approximately 6,000, with 3,300 living in I.R.O. centers, 2,600 in Hachsharah training camps and 176 in Camp Cinecitta, near Rome.
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