United Hias Official Appeals to Governments on Asylum for Refugees

Thirty member governments of the executive committee of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees were urged at their session here to maintain the “basic human rights” of asylum for refugees and to continue the efforts to resettle handicapped refugees” whose handicaps are too frequently the result of persecution.”

The appeal was voiced by Gaynor Jacobson, director of European operations of the United Hias Service who spoke in his capacity as chairman of the Commission on Refugees of the Geneva-based International Council of Voluntary Agencies. Mr. Jacobson referred to the increasing thousands of new refugees entering Western Europe and the necessity for aid from the international community. He also expressed the deep concern of the voluntary agencies over the reduction in financial support of international organizations for transportation of refugees to distant resettlement countries.