The Preparatory Commission of the International Refugee Organization, threatened by a substantial operation deficit in the current fiscal year, has announced temporary changes in resettlement policies, limiting IRO’s financial contributions for resettlement movements in most cases to displaced persons now receiving care and maintenance assistance.
William Hallam Tuck, executive secretary, announced that the new directive will not restrict those settlement projects involving no IRO contributions towards transportation costs, such as those financed by governments and private agencies. It will require that a major portion of the anticipated 200,000 displaced persons being resettled this year, shall be selected from the care and maintenance rolls.
Exceptions to the new ruling include three special categories: 1. Those unlikely to be accepted under mass resettlement schemes because of age, infirmity or other causes, provided that 50 percent of the total cost of movement is paid by individual friends or relatives and provided the movement overseas is carried out on an IRO chartered vessel. 2. Cases of exceptional hardship or humanitarian cases with or without outside contribution following headquarters approval. 3. Persons nominated under special “close relative” plans, such as the Canadian plan, provided that the movement overseas be made on an IRO-chartered vessel.
The new ruling applies only to those areas where displaced persons are maintained by the IRO.
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