Unhappily. the world is already very familiar with the plight of Soviet Jews because of the publicity that has been focused on the case of Andrei Sakharov. His situation has also heightened frustration among Westerners at our inability to persuade the Soviets to release Dr. Sakharov or to ease up on their emigration policiesdespite the fact that they are signators of the Helsinki accords. The right to emigrate is a basic human freedom. one that has been much abused by the Soviet Union in recent years. This right goes along with other freedoms. such as the freedom to express ones own views. to worship ones own God. and to choose meaningful work. All these rights have been denied to Jews in the Soviet Union in one way or another. The situation has deteriorated sharply in recent years. so much so that only 1.315 Jews were given permission to emigrate in 1983. This figure is down from 51.320 in 1979. These statistics. as bad as they are. dont begin to describe the treatment that Soviet Jews have had to endure once they have the courage to apply for permission to emigrate. In countless instances. Soviet officials make the lives of these people far more difficult than they already are. with general harassment. torture and arrest.
Keywords matched
emigrate emigration