A wave of suicides among refugees in France was feared today as a result of the United States order barring visas to aliens with close relatives in totalitarian countries of Europe.
As announced by the consulate in Marseille, the order applies to persons possessing relatives of the “first and second degrees” in the Reich, German-occupied countries, including northern France, and also Soviet Russia.
This means effective suspension of immigration into the U.S. of German, Austrian, Czech, Polish, Rumanian, Russian, Belgian, Dutch and some French refugees. Refugee circles here said the order would result in virtual closing of the last avenue of escape from the “war hall of Europe” for thousands of Jewish refugees in France.
A desperate situation is created for refugees interned in French camps, who are for the most part Central Europeans with relatives in Germany or German-occupied areas. One of the first consequences of the order in France is expected to be a great increase in the number of internments.
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.
