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State Department Extends U.S. Immigration Preference to Thousands of Dp’s in Europe

February 22, 1948
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United States immigration preference to DP’s of the U.S. zones of Germany and Austria, and in Italy and Shanghai, has been extended to include infiltrees who entered these areas after December 22, 1945, but before April 21, 1947, it was revealed today by the HIAS, which has been advised by the State Department that it may start registering such newly-eligible refugees.

The directive of President Truman which has been giving visa preference to displaced persons who came to the U.S. zone before December 22, 1945, will now include thousands of refugees who otherwise would face years of waiting before their immigration numbers would be reached.

According to Isaac L. Asofsky, HIAS executive director, any alien who can prove that he resided in the American zones of Germany and Austria, or other areas included in the Truman directive, or who registered with an American consul prior to April 21, 1947, will be eligible for immigration to the United States under the existing U.S. preference program for DP’s. Asofsky foresaw in this new State Department decision the possibility of early passage of legislation to admit to this country a greater number of displaced persons.

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