Speech #960199114

Mr. President. figures released recently by the National Conference on Soviet Jewry indicate that there has been a significant drop in the number of Soviet Jews who have been granted their emigration rights. Last month. only 2.803 Soviet Jews were allowed to leave the U.S.S.R. This figure is far below the 1979 monthly average of 4.277. The January figures are the lowest monthly totals since September 1978. and represent the sharpest 1month drop in many years. This reduction in emigration comes after a marked increase in total applications for exit visas for Soviet Jews during 1979. There are indications that this drop in emigration is the result of decisions which were taken by Soviet authorities last fall. before the invasion of Afghanistan. Those decisions include the tightening of requirements for emigration applications and the closing of a number of Soviet OVIR (visa control) offices. The sharp reduction in emigration has been accompanied by reports of increased harassment of Jewsespecially refuseniksand human rights activists by Soviet officials. In the wake of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. the Soviets have continued this crackdown on dissidents and have attempted futilely to silence one of the leading champions of international human rights. Andrei Sakharov. They have also continued to hold Anatoly Shcharansky. who recently marked his 32d birthday while imprisoned for the crime of advocating respect for fundamental human rights. Thus I view the harassment and the sharp curtailment on emigration by Soviet Jews with great concern. If it continues. it will further undermine the Soviet position in the community of nations and will further reduce the possibility that we will see any significant improvement of United StatesSoviet relations in the months and years ahead. Mr. President. I will continue to follow this situation closely in the months ahead and will remain committed to the defense of the fundamental right of emigrationa right which the Soviet Union reaffirmed in signing the Helsinki Pact but which has been respected by Soviet authorities with little consistency.O