Senator BOSCHWITZ. for organizing this important effort. As one who has worked hard over the years to press the Soviet Union to respect the basic human rights of its Jewish citizens. I am deeply dismayed by the continued decline in the numbers of exit visas being granted Soviet Jews. From a high of 51.320 exit visas that were granted Soviet Jews in 1979. less than 900 Jews were given permission to emigrate from the Soviet Union In 1984. Thus far. only 499 visas were granted for the first 8 months of this year. These deplorable figures are worrisome in view of the fact that there are at least some 350.000 Jews in the Soviet Union who wish to emigrate to the United States and elsewhere. I am also deeply concerned about the Kremlin stepping up what appears to be an official campaign to crush Jewish culture in the Soviet Union. Since July of 1984. at least 14 Jewish cultural activists and Hebrew teachers have been arrested on trumpedup charges.
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emigrate visas