Financial conditions in Europe and America have had an adverse effect on this year’s tourist traffic in Palestine. There were only 28 cruising parties carrying 5,817 tourists, as compared with 33 cruises in 1929 with 7,687 passengers.
A distinction is made by the immigration authorities between travellers and tourists, tourists meaning those whose visit to Palestine is only for two or three days. The records of the Immigration Department show that 58,832 travellers entered the country in 1930 and 56,450 left. 60,212 travellers entered Palestine in 1929 and 37,365 left. The difference in numbers is accounted for by those who came into the country on tourist visas and afterwards obtained permission to remain permanently. The Immigration Department regards such a procedure in most cases as evasion of the law, according to which a prospective immigrant must fit into one of the immigration categories before he can obtain permission to come here to settle.
During 1930, 6,433 immigrants, of whom 4,944 were Jews, were admitted. This number includes 1,306 persons who were in Palestine “illegally” but received permission to remain as immigrants. The Immigration Department adds to this number another 3,000 who entered Palestine either as travellers on tourist visas or by evading the passport controls.
Of this year’s immigrants, 3,563, or 55.4 per cent, came from Europe east of a line drawn from Danzig to Trieste, 1,187, or 18.5 per cent., from North Africa and Western Asia including Iraq, Persia and Afghanista, 411 from Central Europe, 286 from the United States and 695 from the British Empire, including 404 British Police and other officials.
Emigration from Palestine has decreased owing to the stricter immigration restrictions imposed in other countries because of economic and financial depression. A few of the South American republics are now practically the only States whose doors are open to Palestinian immigrants.
The pilgrimage to Mecca was made in 1930 by 513 Palestinians and 28 Transjordanians, who proceeded under the arrangements made by the Government of Palestine. All the 28 Transjordanians returned, but of the Palestinians five died in the Hedjaz. 307 foreign pilgrims, of whom 150 were Persians, 98 Afghans, 23 Iraqkis, 19 British Indians and 17 Syrians entered Palestine en route for Mecca during 1930.
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.
