These young people are not oblivious to change. they are smart .enough to see where change has been uneven. Mr. President. there are still some 2.000 refusniks waiting for permission to emigrate from the Soviet Union. This term "refusnik" should be an anachronism by now. There should not be any Soviet Jews denied exit visas because they worked in a sensitive industry years ago. There should not be any Soviet Jews struggling against an indifferent bureaucracy. and unpredictable travel regulations. I am willing to believe that Mr. Gorbachev would free all of the remaining refusniks if he were aware of the details of their cases. I am willing to believe that OVIR. the Soviet Governments visa office. mirrors the rest of the Soviet Government bureaucracyentrenched. and unwilling to accept reform or change. Who do these students still come to Washington? Because it is too easy to lose the remaining refusniks among the new wave of Soviet Jewish emigrants. Because it Is too easy to rest assured that reform will come evenly and speedily to all parts of Soviet society. And because the reform of Soviet society is actually making it more dangerous for the Jews who remain there.
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emigrate visas visa emigrants