Portugal will continue to maintain a “liberal and humane” attitude toward refugees and will continue to permit their transit, the Portuguese Foreign Office today assured Dr. Gustav Kullman, League of Nations’ Assistant High Commissioner for Refugees. Dr. Kullman is here investigating the future refugee situation in light of the new Washington regulations barring immigration of aliens with kin remaining in Nazi-occupied countries.
Although stressing the fact that Portugal must be considered solely a country of transit the Foreign Office and police officials assured Dr. Kullman that they welcomed the activities of the voluntary refugee relief organizations here.
Dr. Kullman, who is flying to London tomorrow, conferred extensively not only with the Portuguese authorities but also with the American and other embassies and with representatives of American refugee relief organizations. He declared that the results from these interviews were “very satisfactory.”
At a conference of American relief groups held here under the chairmanship of Dr. Joseph Schwartz of the Joint Distribution Committee, Dr. Kullman outlined the activities and plans of both the League’s High Commission for Refugees and the Inter-Governmental Committee, and discussed specific problems which have recently arisen. The representatives of the various relief agencies thanked him for his visit and expressed their appreciation of the activities of the High Commissioner’s office.
As part of his investigation, Dr. Kullman, accompanied by Dr. Scchwartz, visited Cladas Dareinha and conversed with the ninety-three refugees jailed there last week when their residence permits for Portugal expired.
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