Speech #930086366

Major concerns at the Geneva meeting centered around budgetary problems caused by devaluation of the dollar. and the withdrawal of Australia from parr ticipation in the joint migration program. Australia has decided to operate its own program rather than continue in the 32nation organization. Our Government has also been critical of the administration by ICEM officials of the Western Hemisphere selective migration program which attempts to place highly skilled migrants in South American countries. It is apparent that ICEM will require considerable modification and reorganization if it is able to continue as a viable organization. The financial and administrative problems will receive study by the individual member nations in the period ahead and hopefully solutions will be reached at the fall meeting of the council. I am particularly interested in the part ICEM is performing in reference to the movement of refugees from the Soviet Union. As the Members all know. a total of $50 million has been appropriated by the Congress to assist the migrants from Russia. Contracts totaling $44 million have been signed with United Israel Appeal. Inc.. an accredited American voluntary agency which is responsible for en route care of the refugees. construction of absorption centers. housing. and a hospital facility. and training or retraining of artisans. professionals and scientists. ICEM has received $5 million for air travel of migrants from Austria to Israel. and other voluntary agencies have received $1 million for assistance to migrants from the Soviet Union to countries other than Israel. In order to examine personally how these funds are being expended. I traveled to the receiving and processing centers in Austria and Italy. then to the absorption centers in Israel. The refugees are moved from Russia to Vienna by rail. I met a group at the railroad station as they arrived early in the morning and spoke through an interpreter with about 35 individuals. They had been stripped of all jewelrywedding rings. watches. et cetera. by members of the Russian police force at the last check point going out of Russia. They told me of the difficulty they had raising the $900 to $1.000 per person for travel documents. release from Soviet citizenship and train fare. Apparently the exorbitant exit visa charges. of which we have all heard. have been suspended. at least for the present. However. all these refugees had been suspended from their jobs assoon as they applied for exit visas. so they had endured much harassment and hardship. Next. I went to the processing center at Schoenau. some 20 miles outside Vienna. The refugees are screened at this camp and prepared for the flight to Tel Aviv 2 or 3 days after arrival from Russia. I found a group of perhaps 40 persons from Georgia and the Baltic states and we conversed at length about their experiences. They were cordial and warm. and appeared well clothed and healthy. In Israel I visited two absorption centers from which the refugees are dispersed to other locations throughout the State of Israel. Those with professional qualifications receive retraining and refresher courses before relocation. Again.