Mr. Speaker. the Soviet Government has calously given the Shmuilovich family false hopes that they will be reunited with their relatives in the United States. Because of their desire to emigrate from the Soviet Union. the Shmuilovich family has been harassed and mistreated by the Soviet Government. furthermore. official policy has incited their neighbors and coworkers to harass and abuse them. The Smuilovich family has now been denied permission to emigrate four times. When they were refused permission after their most recent attempt in June 1987. they were told not to reapply until 1995. Mr. Speaker. the treatment of the Smuilovich family is inconsistent with the Soviet policy of glasnost. More seriously. it is inconsistent with solemn international obligations that the Soviet Government has accepted. including the Helsinki Final Act. Jewish emigration is a key to Soviet intenlions and attitudes. While it is true that Soviet emigration has increasedand I welcome the positive signs that we have seen thus farmany Jews still remain in the Soviet Union against their wishes. Mr. Speaker. permission for the Shmuilovich family to emigrate would surely be an important indication to the American people and to the world that the Soviet Union is serious about improving its human rights record. that
Keywords matched
emigrate emigration