The new bill on admission of refugees to the United States, signed by President Kennedy last Thursday, was hailed here today by Murray I. Gurfein, president of the United Hias Service. The bill provides the basis for continued U.S. participation in international refugee assistance programs.
The new act, Mr. Gurfein said, “for the first time in our history establishes refugee legislation with no terminal date.” Pointing out that the U.S. now had a permanent method of admitting certain categories of refugees, Mr. Gurfein said this means that “there no longer is any cut-off date for the migration assistance United Hias Service is giving to refugees from Europe and Egypt who desire to emigrate to this country.”
“The new refugee aid law is a landmark in refugee legislation and renews our confidence in the ultimate passage of a revised, non-discriminatory immigration and nationality act,” Mr. Gurfein continued. He stressed that the United Hias Service has already assisted approximately 2,000 refugees to come to this country under the previous law on admission of refugees.” The permanent extension of provisions for refugee aid enables us to assist those now calling upon us for help in even greater numbers than during the past two years,” he stated.
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