Hias Told It Will Need $2,300,000 in 1967 to Aid 8,200 Jewish Refugees

The United Hias Service will require a total of $2,300,000 for its programs of refugee migration assistance in 1967, it was announced here today by Harry M. Friedman, assistant secretary and controller of Hias. Addressing the concluding session of a two day Hias meeting here, Mr. Friedman said that 8,200 Jewish refugees will receive assistance in their resettlement next year.

In another address at the meeting, Marcus Maus, a leader of Mexican Jewry, described the assistance given by his community to hundreds of Cuban Jewish refugees who had found asylum in Mexico and who were assisted with their welfare needs during their processing for resettlement in the United States and other countries, under the auspices of Hias. Dr. Joseph Kage, national executive vice-president of the Jewish Immigrant Aid Society of Canada, confirmed the continued strong interest of the Canadian Jewish community in receiving migrants and refugees from Europe and Africa.

Referring to the experience in immigration to the United States under the new American legislation passed late in 1965, Gaynor Jacobson, executive director of Hias, and chairman of the meeting, pointed out that the United States continued to be the main area of resettlement served by the agency. He expressed disappointment that the hoped for results were not quite achieved in 1966, mainly due to restrictions requiring labor certifications for various categories of immigrants. He said he expected, however, that recent modifications of some of these provisions would bring about an increase in such movements in the period ahead.

Warren A. Pinegar, deputy director of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, and James L. Carlin, head of the Geneva office of refugee and migration affairs of the U.S. State Department, addressed the meeting. Also participating in the sessions were Henry Levy, European director of Hias; Victor Girmoundsky, director general of the Jewish Colonization Association, of London; Eran Laor, European treasurer of the Jewish Agency for Israel; Gerhart Riegner, of the World Jewish Congress; Herbert Katzki, deputy director general of the American Joint Distribution Committee; Michael Potulicki, secretary general of the International Council of Voluntary Agencies; and David Albertstein of the World Ort Union.