Speaker. I would like to call to the attention of my distinguished colleagues. the Increase in violence and persecution directed toward the refuseniks of the Soviet Union and to emphasize my concern regarding this distressful situation. As we all know refuseniks are those Soviet Jews who are routinely denied the right to emigrate. With an increase in the number of those denied visas. fewer than 1.000 Soviet Jews were allowed to emigrate in 1984. This exiguous figure is negligible when compared to the peak of 51.320 Soviet Jews allowed to emigrate in 1979. 5 short years ago. We are all aware of the plight of the refusenik. Denied visas. refuseniks become pariahs in their own country. Oftentimes. they and their families become targets of harassment. degradation. and blacklisting. Parents lose their jobs and risk being arrested for parisitism. children are forced out of schools. thus extinguishing any hopes of further education or a successful career. refuseniks live in daily fear of being arrested on false charges and separated from their families.
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emigrate visas