The United States Committee for Refugee said in a statement today that although the entire United States governmental and private outlay for refugees during World Refugee Year exceeded $100, 000,000, it was disappointing that Congress and the Administration had been reluctant to support with adequate legislation and funds the commitments it had undertaken in co-sponsoring World Refugee Year.
Dean Francis B. Sayre, Jr. chairman of the committee, noted that the only new refugee legislation “limits entrants to homeless Europeans under the mandate of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. In imposing a cut-off date of July, 1962, there is no recognition of the fact that refugee problems are chronic and are not regulated by the calendar. “
Maxwell Rabb, president of the Committee, warned that “it would be tragic to the cause of the refugee, wherever he exists, if we felt that one year’s efforts had resolved all of the problems. ” He pledged that the committee would “keep Americans aware of the political, economic and social hazards posed by unsolved refugee problems on three continents. “
He said that “one look at the newspapers tells us we face great new challenges. Despite the impetus of World Refugee Year, very few refugee problems have actually been solved in such areas as Hong Kong, India, North Africa and the Middle East. “
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
