The only work he has found since being dismissed from the Soviet Academy of Sciences in 1972 has been with the postal service. Even if he did hold a sensitive position. the knowledge is now 17 years old. The secrecy canard has been a frequent modus operandi for OVIR. the Government visa office. Karmela worked as a concert violinist with the Lithuanian State Philharmonic Orchestra. Apparently. OVIR fears the loss of Karmelas musical talent as well as Vladimirs phantom state secrets. Mr. President. we are witnessing great changes in the Soviet attitude toward emigration. with upward of 50.000 Jews having left the U.S.S.R. in the past year. We all hope and pray that the changes are permanent. and that freedom of movement will become a simple matter of choice for Soviet citizens. There have been too many examples in the past of Soviet Jews being used as pawns in bilateral relations. However. the changes in emigration levels must be accompanied by changes in emigration laws. The thousands of Jews who left in the past year did so because the Soviet Government decided to allow it. Emigration is still a matter of luck. a windfall arbitrarily granted by OVIR to the citizens it chooses. As Senator Henry Jackson. a great advocate for Soviet Jews. said in 1974: ... We would expect that if there are 75.000 applicants there will be 75.000 visas. if there are 100.000 applicants there will be 100.000 visas. and so on. Mr. President. there is clearly a human rights agenda yet to be fulfilled.
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emigration visas visa Emigration