According to the new immigration ordinance, announced Jan. 2 in the Official Gazette, the director of the immigration department henceforth will decide on the admissibility of prospective immigrants to Palestine. This power formerly was vested in the High Commissioner.
Other details of the immigration ordinance follow:
1) “A list of all persons other than the crew in any ship or aeroplane or other conveyance entering Palestine shall be furnished to the Department of Immigration and it makes further provisions with reference to offences committed under the Ordinance. Power is also given to the High Commissioner-in-Council to prescribe fees.”
2) “In any prosecution of any foreigner charged with entering Palestine illegally or with having remained in Palestine after the expiry of any period for which he was allowed to enter Palestine as a traveller or on a transit visa, the onus shall be on the accused person to show that he is lawfully in Palestine.
3) “Any person aiding or abetting any other person in any contravention of this Ordinance or any order or rule made thereunder or harbouring any person who he knows or has reasonable grounds to believe has acted in contravention thereof, shall be liable to a fine not exceeding two hundred pounds or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding one year or to both. Any person so aiding, abetting or harbouring more than one person at the same time or by the same means shall be deemed to be guilty of an offence in respect of each person whom he so aids or obits or harbours.
“Without prejudice to any of the provisions of this sub-section, the following ships or boats not exceeding two hundred and fifty tons registered tonnage shall be forfeited to the Government of Palestine:-
“(a) Any ship or boat knowingly used by the owner, agent or master thereof in the aiding or abetting of any person contravening this Ordinance or any order or rule made thereunder, or in harbouring any person contravening this Ordinance or any order or rule made thereunder, or in harbouring any person contravening this Ordinance or any order or rule made thereunder.
“(b) Any ship or boat hovering within three nautical miles of the coast and failing to depart after being required so to do by the Director, Department of Immigration, or by an Immigration Officer.
“Without prejudice to any of the provisions of this sub-section, any means of conveyance, the value of which does not exceed one thousand pounds, other than a ship or boat, knowingly used in the aiding or abetting of any person contravening this Ordinance or any order or rule made thereunder or in harbouring any person contravening this Ordinance or any order or rule made thereunder shall be forfeited to the Government of Palestine.
“The owner of a ship exceeding two hundred and fifty tons registered tonnage which would be forfeited if the ship were two hundred and fifty tons registered tonnage or less or the owner of any means of conveyance which would be forfeited if the value there of did not exceed one thousand pounds, shall be liable to a penalty not exceeding one thousand pounds and the ship or means of conveyance may be detained until the penalty is paid or security is given for its payment.
“Any person found guilty of an offence under this Ordinance other than those set out in the preceding paragraphs of this sub-section, shall be liable to a fine not exceeding one hundred pounds or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months or to both.
“Liability to a penalty under this Ordinance shall not affect any liability to penalties for the same act prescribed under the Penal Code or any Ordinance or other law, but so that no person shall be punished twice for the same offence.”
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.
