Speaker. I am today reintroducing a resolution calling on the President to use his good offices to prevail upon the Soviet leadership on behalf of Soviet citizens desiring to reunite with their brethren outside the U.S.S.R. In response to a commitment made by Premier Kosygin in December of 1966 to permit Russian families separated by the ravages of war to be reunited with relatives outside Soviet borders. more than 50.000 Soviet citizens have filed applications for emigration. As yet. none of these applications have been acted upon. However. the citizens who filed them have been systematically persecuted. fired from jobs. and given bad character ratings by the Soviet Government. One of the basic principles of humanitarian thought is the sanctity of the family unit. It is unconscionable that the government of one of the worlds major powers would. as a matter of public policy. prevent its citizens from joining their brethren outside its borders. The most prominent group affected by this cruel and restrictive policy has been Russian Jews who wish to emigrate to Israel. A recent result of Soviet intransigence was the trial of the hijackers. who were driven to a desperate act because they were not allowed to emigrate. More encouraging has been the positive effect of world opinion culminating in the recent release of Leonid Rigerman. As one who sought the aid of the State Department in certifying U.S. citizenship status for Mr.
Keywords matched
emigrate emigration