The Jordanian Government, acting at the request of the Arab League, has taken measures to stop mass emigration of Palestine Arab refugees from Jordan to Australia, it was learned here today from a report received from Amman, the Jordanian capital.
The report revealed that there is a strong movement among the Arab refugees in Jordan to emigrate to Australia, and that Amin El Husseini, Jordanian Minister for Development, has expressed his government’s dissatisfaction to officials of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, which has more than 650,000 Arab refugees on its relief rolls in Jordan alone. The refugees make up about 50 per cent of Jordan’s total population. A statement issued by Mr. Husseini, following his consultations with the UNRWA officials, read:
“Many rumors have been circulating about the private emigration of refugees to Australia, encouraged by UNRWA. The Jordanian Government has put an end to this state of affairs, after having received from the Arab League a memorandum about the formal prohibition of emigration of Arab refugees to any other country. Following this position, certain measures have been taken and severe controls put into effect to stop this emigration.”
Mr. Husseini said he has been given a message from Laurence Michelmore, UNRWA Commissioner-General, who has his headquarters in Beirut, declaring that Mr. Michelmore “disapproves of this means of emigration.” Mr. Michelmore had stated, according to the Jordanian Minister, that “there is no connection between UNRWA and the emigration of Arab refugees from Jordan.”
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