Speech #980156579

Mr. Speaker. today I would like to call attention to the emigration policies of the Soviet Union. and most notably. to their increasing defiance to the requests of Soviet Jews to emigrate. Even though the U.S.S.R.. along with 35 other countries. signed the Helsinki accords in August of 1975. the Soveit Union has. for the past 4 years in particular. severely limited the number of Jewish citizens that they have allowed to emigrate. They have also spread antiZionist propaganda. and consistently harassed many of those who did apply for exit visas. It is estimated that since 1968. 380.000 Soviet Jews have expressed an interest in leaving and have been denied. In March of last year. the Soviets formed what they called an antiZionist Committee of the Soviet Public. This was allegedly formed to counter the influence of Israel and other Jewish organizations. Despite the above mentioned figures. in June this committee announced that "the process of reuniting families is. for the most part completed." This is taken by many to be further evidence that the Soviet Union will not allow many more of its Jewish populace to emigrate. and I urge Congress to seriously address and consider this issue. In addition to this antiSemitic stance. the Soviets have recently undertaken several steps to insure that Jewish citizens do not have the same fundamental rights as those of other Soviet citizens. Because of the increasing desire to emigrate. authorities reduced the number of Jewish students enrolled in institutions of higher learning by 40 percent. causing the number of Jewish employees in the scientific and technical communities to drop. Also. they have stripped many visa applicants of their advanced degrees and professional positions. Perhaps the most shocking example of what the Soviet Union is now engaged in is the plight of many of their "refuseniks." A refusenik is a term used to identify one who has tried to obtain an exit visa and has been refused. Many refuseniks have been trying for 10 years or more to obtain exit visas. and have been sentenced to labor camps or exile as a result. This action is in itself repulsive. but when taken in the context of a new law on the Soviet books. it becomes even more menacing. The law. enacted last year. states that: Malicious disobedience ... or any other opposition to the administration of the execution of its functions by a prisoner ... can