Mr Speaker. last October. a member of my staff traveled to the Soviet Union and met with a number of refuseniks. Among those she met was Vladimir Lifshitz of Lenngrad. a mathematician who had applied to emigrate with his family in 1981. Mr. Lifshitz was subsequently dismissed from his jobthe normal consequence of requesting to leave the Socialist fatherland. notwithstanding that Soviet law prohibits such reprisalsand he eventually found another job as a computer programmer. although the new job was poorly paid and well below his qualifications. When my assistant met with Mr. Lifshitz. his principal concern was for his son. who had passed the entrance exam for the prestigious Leningrad Institute of Fine Mechanics and Optics. but whom the authorities had asked to withdraw his application. evidently because of his familys request to emigrate. Vladimir had sent several letters of appeal to the Soviet authorities on his sons behalf. but no redress had been forthcoming. and his son had enrolled in a less prestigious technical college. Since my assistants visit.
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emigrate