First of all. the total number of displaced persons to be admitted would be changed from 205.000over a 2year periodto 339.000over a 3year period. But of most importance to the Czechoslovak nationals is the amended version of section 2 (d) of the existing law. which would provide admission. in theory at least. for as many as 15.000 of them into the United States if the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Defense certify that they would be desirable residents of this country. The amendment at this point is specifically designed to take care of recent political refugees from Czechoslovakia. as well as for similar religious and political persecutees who every day are reaching the safe western zones of Germany. Austria. and Italy from other countries now behind the Iron curtain. Under the present regulations. the entry of any Czechoslovakborn person as a displaced person will be charged against the normal immigration quota for the Czech Republic. and although it Is difficult to get permission to leave that state under the Communist regime. our basic immigration law provides for the annual admission of 2.874 of its people each year. This condition. by which the homeland of these people loses a total entry quota In exact proportion to the number of its nationals who enter as displaced persons. is certainly far from ideal. but under todays brutal circumstances it is assuredly an improvement insofar as it would permit. in the next 3 years. the admission of up to 15.000 of these victims of enemy malicea number greater than normal immigration would allow in 5 years. even were it possible to get permission to penetrate the iron curtain. May I urge the Congress to give these amendments Its wholehearted support. No investment will pay better dividends than the incorporation into our native stock and our body politic of as many Czechs and Slovaks as we can rescue from postwar Europe.
Keywords matched
immigration refugees