For years. Members of Congress have watched with great concern and sadness as the doors to freedom have been slammed shut in the faces of Soviet Jews. Since 1979. the number of exit visas granted Soviet Jews has slowed to a mere trickle. This past winter. over 100 Members of Congress joined in writing a letter to the new leader of the Soviet state. Mr. Chernenko. expressing our concern over the treatment of Soviet Jews. the denial of exit visas. and the prevalence of governmentsanctioned antiSemitism. We had hoped that a new Soviet leader might mean a new policy that might open the door to emigration. In addition. I met for almost 2 hours with a representative of the Soviet Ambassador at their Embassy here in Washington requesting actions regarding specific refuseniks and prisoners of conscience.
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visas emigration