Seek Way to Expedite Processing, Movement of Soviet Refugees in Rome Who Seek Entry to U.S.

Attorney General Edward H. Levi has expressed confidence that the State Department and the Justice Department’s Immigration and Naturalization Service will “expedite the processing and movement” of Soviet refugees in Rome who have elected to immigrate to the United States.

In a letter to Rep. Joshua Eilberg (D.Pa.), who has sought official explanations on why some refugees in Rome have been waiting up to six months for U.S. visas, Levi said that an alternate procedure “will take care of the present situation in Rome and will make unnecessary the use of the parole authority” of the Attorney General.

The parole authority was pledged three years ago by former Attorney General John Mitchell to expedite the flow of emigrants from the Soviet Union. It came at a time when the Congress was considering legislation to admit up to 32,000 refugees in one year. However, the processing bogged down. It is now understood that I.N.S. in Rome will provide the required personnel to expedite the processing and the State Department will transfer consular officials from Naples to Rome as needed to assist with the required paper work.

In making public Levi’s letter, Eilberg said he was “very pleased” with the coordination Levi has described but he added that he will “continue to monitor the situation” of the approximately 2000 refugees in Rome. About 1200 have said they wish to enter the United States, an aide to Eilberg told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. The remainder, the aide said, either are undecided on where to emigrate or have elected to go to a country other than the U.S. None have been in Israel, JTA was told.

POSSIBILITY OF ALTERNATE PLAN

Levi’s letter said that the I.N.S. has explored with the State Department the “possibility of using an alternate plan” to the parole system which would employ “conditional entry numbers for the principal applicant of a refugee family and having non-preference numbers used for the accompanying spouse and children.”

“The rationale in this procedure,” Levi wrote, “is that a principal applicant does not require a labor certification to qualify for a conditional entry number. Similarly, the accompanying spouse and children would not require labor certification to qualify for non-preference numbers.”

An Eilberg aide said that the parole system was intended for emergencies and gave no status to the emigrant except to admit him into the country. The alternate method outlined by Levi, he said, provides the refugee with immigrant status and “there can never be a question of his status here.”