Speech #880096399

Speaker. House Resolution 510 is important to the work of the Committee on the Judiciary. It provides authority to carry out responsibilities which have long been the primary responsibilities of the Subcommittee on Immigration and Nationality. As is known. the United States took the initiative in 1951 to organize the Intergovernmental Committee for European Migration. This initiative was taken in response to two major problems confronting the free world community. The first was that of refugees escaping from countries and areas under Communist occupation into the countries of free Europe. The second was overpopulation in certain countries of free Europe which was further aggravated by the influx of refugees escaping from . Communist tyranny. To meet these problems a score of free nations met in Brussels. Belgium. and established the Intergovernmental Committee. The member nations undertook to share responsibility for meeting the problems of refugees and those caused by overpopulation. Over the years responsibility for the actual oversight of U.S. participation in ICEM has rested with the Subcommittee of Immigration and Nationality. This was a natural arrangement because of the nature of the work involved. Our late colleague. the Honorable Francis Walter. as chairman of the Subcommittee on Immigration and Nationality. exercised a strong interest in ICEM. He attended alf the sessions of the Intergovernmental Committee except the last one. when failing health prevented his attendance. The Subcommittee on Immigration and Nationality of which I am chairman will continue to exercise oversight of the work carried on by the Intergovernmental Committee. It is therefore important that members of the subcommittee be present at the meetings of both the Executive Council and the General Council. scheduled to open on October 8. Concurrent with attendance at the ICEM meetings. a field investigation will be made of the administration of the Fair Share Refugee Act by the members. This field investigation is now overdue. It should be undertaken while the members are in Europe attending the ICEM Council.