Minister of Interior Anton Yugov today outlined to the correspondent of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency the policy of the new Bulgarian Government with regard to Jews who wish to remain in the country and those who may wish to emigrate to Palestine and other countries.
The ban on emigration will be lifted within a few days, Mr. Yugov said, adding that the Government is not opposed to the emigration of Jews who are not liable to military service.
Various drafts of a law for the return of confiscated Jewish property are now being studied by a special commission, the minister continued. The original draft has been repeatedly altered, he revealed, The final scheme will be submitted to the cabinet for discussion and approval.
The basic principles of the law now under discussion, Mr. Yugov said, are:
1. All anti-Jewish property and tax regulations which were in operation from 1941 up to last month are to be abrogated.
2. Jews will be given back all payments made under the “special Jewish tax” imposed upon them by the previous pro-Nazi regime.
3. All property and valuables confiscated by the state from the Jews must be returned to the owners. All transactions covering Jewish property made under the previous regime are to be invalidated, including sales made by Jews in order to avoid confiscation.
4. Repayments to Jews by the state are to be made in cash up to 100,000 levas and the remainder in state bonds. Disputes arising out of the law are to be settled in court without delay.
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.
