Speech #890218671

There have been proposals to withdraw membership from the Union of South Africa and Portugal. India has offered a resolution for a nuclear moratorium. and a number of states have urged a debate on Vietnam. The ICEM is an independent international organization established with the purpose "to facilitate and increase the movement of indigenous migrants and refugees out of Europe and simultaneously to meet the requirements for manpower of the developing economics of immigration countries." Its present Director is Mr. Bastian W. Haveman of the Netherlands. The United States contributes approximately 30 percent of the ICEM budget. Australia. the next largest contributor and the biggest beneficiary of the program. pays approximately 17 percent. The primary function of ICEM is the transportation of refugees and migrants. In this role it does not conflict. but rather complements the role of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. who is responsible for the political and social protection of the refugees and migrants. The present and very successful U.N. High Commissioner is Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan. Since its inception in 1952. ICEM has moved about one and a half million persons overseas. of whom 639.539 were refugees mostly from Eastern Europe. Many of these persons possessed skills that are highly valued and needed in the underdeveloped areas. and they were able to make -significant contributions to economic growth. There has been a problem in this regard in recent years. however. because of the gap between the workers situation in Europe and in the underdeveloped areas. Less people are willing to leave Europe today for new countries marked by political instability. poorer wage levels. and few social and retirement benefits. This gap will make it increasingly difficult for the underdeveloped nations to maintain the immigration of refugees. There is one matter to which I wish to alert the Senate. In the last few years.