Geneva, 29 August, 1952
Dear Mr. Secretary-General,
I have the honour to send you herewith for the information of the Council of Europe a report concerning my Office. I should appreciate it very much if you would kindly bring it to the attention of the Consultative Assembly and its competent committees during their next session.
In order to make the report as succinct as possible, only the problem of refugees in Europe, which is of special concern to the Council of Europe, has been studied at length; the refugee problems concerning my Office in other areas are only mentioned.
The refugee problem in Europe, which so closely affects to European interests, could not be solved without the favourable backing of the European community.
In my letter of 7th March, 1952 I had the honour to bring to the attention of the Chairman of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe my A'iews regarding the everincreasing number of offices dealing with the refugee problem. I only wish to say now that during the five months which have elapsed since then new organisations have been created to deal with refugees. Consequently the problem is becoming more and more difficult to deal with, and—though not under-estimating the work done by each of these organisations— I feel that much valuable effort is unfortunately being wasted by duplication and overlapping.
I cannot help feeling that, when the interested organs of the Council of Europe have read my attached report, they will share my views in this matter.
As you are aware, above and beyond the legal weapons which the United Nations have placed in my hands to perform my task, I depend in the last resort on the strength of moral compulsion exercised by individual citizens and Governments everywhere. I need all the help and devotion which an aroused public opinion can give me, and the Council of Europe is better placed than any other organisation at this time to appreciate the importance and magnitude of the problem and to give it all the publicity, which it merits.
I feel quite sure that, in pursuing the efforts of my Office to solve the refugee problem, shall obtain the fullest possible co-operation of the Council of Europe.
Yours sincerely,
Signed : G. J. V A N H E U V E N G O E D H A R T .
The Secretary-General of the Council of Europe STRASBOURG
There are to-day several million human beings who, because of political consideration, persecution and fear of persecution, have had to leave their country of nationality and seek asylum in foreign lands.
For some of these refugees the conditions of existence barely reach a standard compatible with human dignity; some of them have been in camps for more than seven years. In most cases they receive the first necessities of life from the Governments of the countries where they reside. Except for a few of the young who may be eligible for emigration they have little hope of starting a new life again elsewhere. The outlook is grim for refugees in general—and particularly for the old, perhaps suffering from disease, those with a physical disability, those living in countries whose social and economic environment offers few, if any, opportunities of work or settlement.
Since 1949 the United Nations has taken over part of the responsibility for the solution of the refugee problem, and the General Assembly at its 4th Ordinary Session decided on 3rd December, 1949 to establish as of 1st January, 1951 the Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees, and requested the Economic and Social Council to prepare a draft resolution embodying provision for the functioning of the High Commissioner's Office, together with such recommendations as it might deem appropriate.
The statute of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees was adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations at its 325th plenary meeting on 14th December, 1950.
Chapter I, paragraph I, of the Statute reads as follows :
" The High Commissioner, acting under the authority of the General Assembly, shall assume the function of providing international protection, under the auspices of the United Nations, to refugees who fall within the scope of this Statute and of seeking permanent solutions for the problem of refugees by assisting Governments and, subject to the approval of the Governments concerned, private organisations to facilitate the voluntary repatriation of such refugees, or their assimilation within new national communities. "
Under the definition of the term " refugee " given by the General Assembly of the United Nations, not all refugees come within the mandate of the High Commissioner for Refugees. Some are looked after byorganisations specially created to deal with problems in a specific area, such as the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, and the United Nations Korean Reconstruction Agency which looks after Korean refugees. Refugees who are receiving. help and protection from the country of their ethnic origin, and who are living in that country, do not come within the mandate of the High Commission for Refugees, such as the nine million Volksdeutsche in the Federal Republic of Germany who have been given by the Bonn Government all the rights of citizenship.
Those refugees coming under the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees mandate are mainly refugees who were being looked after by the International Refugee Organisation until this agency ceased its operations in January, 1952 and who have not yet been re-settled, and all the refugees who, as a result of events which occurred before 1st January, 1951 may have valid reasons to fear persecution in their country of origin. Between one and a half and two million refugees are estimated to be within the High Commissioner's mandate. They include some four hundred thousand International Refugee Organisation refugees and displaced persons who had neither been repatriated nor re-settled after the closure of that Organisation in January, 1952.
Between fifteen to twenty thousand people a year cross the borders of their native lands as political refugees. These so-called " new " refugees all come within the mandate of the High Commissioner.
The refugees coming under the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees mandate may be roughly divided as follows :
| COUNTRY | NUMBER OF REFUGEES | |
|---|---|---|
| a. European countries of emigration | ||
| Germany (Fed. Rep.) | 150.000 | |
| Austria | 240.000 | |
| Greece | 2 0 . 0 00 | |
| Italy | 2 0 . 0 00 | |
| Trieste | 5 . 0 00 | |
| Netherlands | 1 0 . 0 00 | |
| b. European countries of immigration | ||
| Belgium | 6 0 . 0 00 | |
| France | 3 5 0 . 0 00 | |
| United Kingdom | 2 6 0 . 0 00 | |
| Sweden | 4 5 . 0 00 | |
| Switzerland | 1 0 . 0 00 | |
| Denmark | 1.000 | |
| Luxembourg | 750 | |
| Norway | 2 . 0 00 | |
| c. Overseas immigration countries (Minimum figures based on the number of refugees re-settled by I. R. 0.) | ||
| Argentina | 3 2 . 7 12 | |
| Australia | 1 8 2 . 1 59 | |
| Bolivia | 2 . 4 85 | |
| Brazil | 2 8 . 8 48 | |
| Canada | 1 2 3 . 4 79 | |
| Chile | 5 . 1 08 | |
| French Morocco | 1.466 | |
| Now Zealand | 4 . 8 37 | |
| Paraguay | 5 . 8 87 | |
| Peru | 2 . 3 40 | |
| U.S.A. | 328.851 | |
| Uruguay | 1.461 | |
| Venezuela | 1 7 . 2 77 | |
| Other countries, approx. | 8 . 0 00 | |
| d. Other overseas countries | ||
| Near East, Turkey | 700 | |
| Middle East (groups of hundreds) | ||
| Iran | 2 . 0 00 | |
| Egypt | 2 . 3 00 | |
| Far East-China | 7-8.000 | |
| Philippines | 100 |
The High Commissioner's task is threefold. First, to provide international protection, secondly, to promote activities likely to solve refugee problems on a permanent basis, and thirdly, to co-ordinate the efforts of voluntary agencies and other organisations working for refugees.
International Protection : Until the refugee is granted all the rights of citizenship and protection by the Government of his country of residence or resettlement or until he is repatriated, his position is precarious. The refugee is an alien everywhere but has no Government to protect him, and is not therefore in so good a position even as other aliens.
This results in certain disabilities for refugees, e.g. their personal status often cannot he defined, they do not enjoy certain benefits granted to aliens on the basis of reciprocity, etc. Their inability to call on consular and diplomatic representatives of their country of origin leads to difficulties in obtaining travel documents, identity certificates and other documents required for the exercise of rights or the obtaining of permits, such as residence and work permits. In order to promote measures to overcome these disabilities and difficulties, the United Nations has entrusted the High Commissioner with the task of giving international protection to refugees
The High Commissioner encourages Governments to pass national legislation and to adapt their administrative practices to safeguard the basic rights and legitimate interests of refugees and to meet their needs.
Permanent solutions : The promoting of permanent solutions is, in essence, a mandate of negotiation and mediation. The High Commissioner can only act in co-operation with governments, specialised agencies and voluntary organisations. He can open negotiations with the Governments of the countries of residence and with Governments of countries offering more favourable opportunities for refugees to start a new life.
Close liaison, is being maintained with the international and intergovernmental organisations, voluntary agencies and governments, to increase opportunities for resettlement.
Legal, economic and social rights for refugees have been embodied in the Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, adopted by twenty-six nations in July, 1951. It has, to date, been signed by nineteen countries and will come into force ninety days after ratification by six countries.
When ratified, the Convention will secure certain rights for refugees, such as the right to work, the right to social security, to public relief, and to education. In addition, the Convention safeguards the civil status of refugees by establishing the law of their countries of residence as the governing law of refugees in such matters as marriage, divorce and guardianship.
The General Assembly elected Dr. Gerret Jan van Heuven Goedhart as High Commissioner for a term of three years from 1st January, 1951, with headquarters at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland. He directs a staff of thirty-eight international civil servants and forty-four general service personnel of twenty-one different nationalities.
The administrative budget of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees for 1952, as approved by the General Assembly, is S716,390. This budget is for the purpose of financing the activities of the branch offices and the headquarters office only. The High Commissioner has received no operational funds from the United Nations.
At its thirteenth session, the Economic and Social Council decided to establish a United Nations High Commissioner's Advisory Committee on Refugees, the first session of which was held in Geneva in December, 1951. The following States, members of the Committee, were represented at that session :
Australia
Austria
Belgium
Brazil
Denmark
Federal Republic of Germany
France
Holy See
Israel
Italy
Switzerland
Turkey
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
United States of America
Venezuela
This Committee is of particular value in that it provides a means for the continued collaboration of Member States of the United Nations and non-member States directly interested in the refugee problem.
The second session of this Advisory Committee will be held in Geneva on 15th September, 1952. The Council of Europe has been invited to send observers.
Representatives of the Office of the High Commissioner are now established, with the consent of the governments concerned, in Austria, in Belgium for the Benelux countries, in Colombia for Latin America, in the Federal Republic of Germany, in Athens for Greece and the Near East, in Italy, in the United Kingdom and in the United States of America. In addition the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has established, together with the Provisional Intergovernmental Committee for the Movement of Migrants from Europe, a joint representative in Hong Kong who is continuing the operation begun by the International Refugee Organisation for the care and maintenance and resettlement of refugees from China. Furthermore, an Office will be set up in Paris on 1st September.
As already stated, the mandate of the High Commissioner is world-wide, and the international responsibility with which he is charged is large in scope and covers many areas. In this report, therefore, only those problems which are of interest to the Council of Europe are exposed in detail, while the others are only mentioned.
In November, 1951, the High Commissioner invited a Swiss economist, Dr. B. Lincke, to study the refugee problem in Germany; and in December, 1951, he invited Mr. Gilbert Jaeger, a Belgian economist (who has since become Economic Adviser to his Office) to study the refugee problems in Austria and Greece.
The detailed studies relating to Germany and Austria, and the preliminary survey of the refugee situation in Greece, confirm the fact that the implementation of a refugee integration policy calls not merely for efforts in the way of protection proper, but for the adoption of special economic measures or measures related to a general economic development scheme.
A large number of refugees coming within the mandate of the Office of the High Commissioner are living either in countries whose economic development was interrupted or cut down by the war, or in under-developed countries properly so-called. Moreover, these are precisely the countries which are receiving most of the new refugees. Since the general economic development in these countries is too slow to allow the refugees to become automatically absorbed, and psychological difficulties, and even discrimination under the law, are aggravated by the economic situation (unemployment, shortage of capital, etc.) the normal process of assimilation is hampered. The integration of refugees in these countries is furthermore bound up with general economic recovery or development.
It must not be forgotten, however, that refugees can at times help to promote the economic advancement of the countries where they are living, when they possess qualifications needed for carrying through the countries' programmes or harnessing their powers of development. The case of the refugees in Austria is typical in this respect. On the whole, it should not be considered that refugees are necessarily a burden on receiving countries. In many cases they are a definite asset.
In order to highlight the problem of the assimilation and integration of refugees in general we are now setting out the refugee situation in Germany, Austria and Greece from the integration angle.
The number of refugees living in the territory of the German Federal Republic and coming within the mandate of this Office is at present in the neighbourhood of 150,000 and several hundred more seek asylum in the Federal territory every month. The dominant factor in the situation of the refugees coming within the international mandate is the presence in the Federal Republic of about 9 million refugees of German ethnic origin (Heimatverlriebenc) coming either from the former territories of Eastern Germany or from the central and eastern European countries.
While the refugees of German ethnic origin constitute about 20 per cent of the total population, the refugees within the mandate of this Office represent approximately 0.3 per cent of the inhabitants of the German Federal Republic. The very magnitude of the problem of the refugees of German ethnic origin has led the German authorities to take various legal, administrative, social and economic measures designed to solve the problem, and, in particular, to bring about the integration of these refugees in the economic and social structure of the Federal Republic. Although the alien refugees have been given the benefit of special legislation and regulations by the occupation authorities, and the Bonn Government has granted them a special status, they do not however enjoy the same privileges as German refugees, particularly in the economic sphere.
Of the 150,000 refugees in Germany coming within the mandate of this Office, about 50,000 must be regarded as non-assimilable, either on grounds of health or age, or because psychological difficulties make it impossible for them to fit into the life of the local community. These are the cases in-need of relief. As for the remaining 100,000 persons, probably about 50,000 have found employment, while the other 50,000 are totally or partially unemployed.
For most of the refugees, the fundamental problem of integration is bound up with the opportunities for employment, so that its solution is dependent on the success of the employment policy pursued by the German authorities. There are also a number of independent workers (especially in handicrafts, trade and the professions), who should be given a chance to establish themselves by means of suitable loans. It is estimated that there are 5,000 such cases, or 15,000 persons including the members of their families.
Among the various measures taken in Germany on behalf of the refugees of German ethnic origin, mention should be made of the establishment at Bonn on 12th May, 1950 of a special credit institution for refugees, the Vertriebenen - Bank A. G. (Expellee Bank). This bank was set up initially with the help of E. R. P. counterpart funds and its resources have since been increased by funds from German sources. The volume of loans granted directly or indirectly by the Bank up to the present is about 450 million D. M. Most of this has gone to refugees of German ethnic origin, but a certain amount to other war victimsNote.
Although it is perhaps unfortunate that the funds originally made available to the Expellee Bank were not intended even in part for the alien refugees within the International Refugee Organisation's mandate at the time, it should be mentioned that more recently account has been taken of the needs of this category of refugees. Under an agreement concluded in February, 1951 between the I. R. 0. and the Expellee Bank, a special section, known as the D. P. Branch, was set up within the Bank and a seat on the Bank's Board of Directors was reserved for a representative of the alien refugees. As initial working capital in 1951, the D. P. Branch of the Expellee Bank was allotted funds to the extent of 1 1/2 million D. M., charged against the I. R. 0. credit balance in Germany. The D. P. Branch has been in operation for only a few months, and was handicapped in the early stages by the inevitable difficulties of setting the loan machinery in motion. By 30th April, 1952, the D. P. Branch had received 3,881 applications for credit, and had granted 156 loans amounting to 0.7 million D. M., mostly for the establishment of small industrial or handicraft businesses.
The D. P. Branch of the Expellee Bank caters for a real need; but the amount of capital at its disposal falls far short of what is required. The loans needed for establishment porposes alone were estimated at 25 million D. M., and this amount must now be nearer 40 million D. M. in view of the trend of prices in Germany and the new criteria applied by the Expellee Bank in granting loans to refugees of German ethnic origin. Following an approach by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to the German Federal Government, the latter placed a sum of 2 million D. M. at the disposal of the D. P. Branch, while an additional sum of over 1 million D. M. will probably be made available out of the I. R. O. credit balance in Germany. These sums will make it possible for the D. P. Branch of the Expellee Bank to continue normal operations for the time being, but further funds will undoubtedly have to be found, either in Germany or elsewhere, if the Bank is to fulfil the purpose for which it was established.
The Expellee Bank grants loans solely for the establishment of refugees wishing to carry on an independent occupation, so that the serious problems of employment and housing call for a different approach. In the matter of housing, efforts have been made by a number of local authorities, and recently the Federal Government decided to earmark two million D. M. for house-building. This sum would supplement provincial and municipal loans and capital to be sought abroad for this purpose. In this way far more dwellings could be built than on the strength of the two million D. M. alone.
No complete solution to this problem of integration of alien refugees in Germany can be reached unless more specific action is taken on behalf of all the refugees and on the express understanding that the alien refugees will enjoy not merely equality of legal status in general, but the benefit of the special legislation already enacted, or which may be enacted in the future, in Germany to promote the economic and social integration of German refugees.
At the present time there are about 240,000 refugees in Austria—215,000 of German ethnic origin (Volhsdeutsche) and 25,000 of non-German ethnic origin. About 50,000 of them live in camps. The 240,000 refugees constitute nearly 4 % of the total populationNote. New refugees continue to cross the Austrian frontiers every month. Unlike the position in Germany, practically all the refugees in Austria come within thé mandate of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. This applies to the majority of the 240,000 refugees. In addition to these, Austria also has about 50,000 South Tyrolese who enjoy practically the same status as Austrian nationals, and about 85,000 German nationals (Reichsdeutsche). Although the refugees of German ethnic origin in Austria have a good deal in common with the Austrian population, e.g. language and cultural background, generally speaking they are not regarded as Austrian citizens. Hence the Austrian authorities have not worked out or put into operation any systematic policy of integration; they have, however, introduced various measures, especially of late, to facilitate naturalisation for the refugees, and to place them on an equal footing with Austrian citizens so far as the right to work is concerned.
Since opportunities for emigration are restricted, the only course open to most of the refugees is to become integrated in the Austrian economic and social structure. From the demographic standpoint the refugees would appear to be an asset for Austria, and their occupational distribution suits Austria's development potentialities. About 30 % of the able-bodied male refugees belong to the agricultural class, 50 % consist of industrial and other workers, while the remainder are former craftsmen, shopkeepers, or professional men. Integration of the refugees would make it possible, in particular, to raise agricultural production and productivity, which have been seriously checked by a widespread flight from the land, to strengthen the general economic structure, and to improve the country's balance of payments position. Moreover, Austria's refugee population has provided an important contribution in the form of industrial labour, and the refugees have set up new industries which have increased the country's export capacity.
At the request of this Office, a plan for economic and social integration was worked out. It would be spread over a period of ten years, and would provide for the settlement of the following numbers :
8,000 farmers and their families, by establishing new farms (1,000), purchasing existing farms (1,000) and leasing existing farms (6,000);
10,000 agricultural workers and their families, by establishing small holdings consisting of living quarters and a small plot of land ;
7,600 craftsmen, shopkeepers and professional men and their families; and also for the construction of :
25,000 non-agricultural dwellings for wage-earners or self-employed workers.
This scheme would be financed by a credit system somewhat similar to that of the Expellee Bank in Western Germany, but of wider social implication. The capital required is estimated at 4,500 million Austrian schillings (173 million US dollars), or about 3 % of gross investment in Austria during the period in question. About 45 % of this capital would be furnished by the Austrian authorities; 23 % by the refugees themselves; 5 % by local credit institutions ; and about 27 % (1,226 million Austrian schillings or 47 million US dollars) would have to be sought abroad, particularly from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, with suitable guarantees from the Austrian Government.
The Austrian Government having decided that the economic and financial position of the country would not allow it to participate in the financing of the integration of refugees to the extent proposed, an emergency plan for the integration of refugees in Austria was drawn up more recently by this Office. Under this plan, the less immediate and more costly measures are set aside for the time being, and the financing scheme is confined to the first two years of activities. The capital required for carrying through this emergency programme is set at 735 million Austrian schillings (approximately 28 million US dollars), 250 million to be provide in the form of subsidies and loans by the authorities; 75 million by the refugees themselves; 50 million by local credit institutions; and 360 million (about 14 million US dollars) to be obtained from foreign institutions. As compared with the original financial scheme, the suggested contribution by the Austrian authorities is reduced from 44.4 % to 34.0 % of the total; the overall proportion of the capital to be found in Austria is reduced from 72.8 % to 51.0%, and in consequence. the amount of foreign capital to be obtained goes up from 27 % to 49.0 %. These modifications make considerable allowance for Austria's financial difficulties.
The Austrian Government appears to recognise the necessity for undertaking a more or less systematic integration scheme, and certain funds should be available for this purpose as from 1953. On the other hand, it appears that the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development is not at present in a position to grant financial assistance for implementing this scheme. Actually, the Bank's view that the integration of refugees in Austria is not so much an economic as a social matter does not tally with the findings of this Office.
The number of refugees in Greece is getting on for 20,000, about half of them being refugees who entered the country after the first World War (mainly Armenians, Russians and a small group of Assyrians), while the other half have entered Greece in the last few years. This latter category consists mainly of refugees of Greek ethnic origin, mostly from Rumania, and a small miscellaneous group of Albanians, Bulgarians, Yugoslavs, etc.
Generally speaking, only the refugees of the recent post-war period raise problems requiring an immediate solution. Most of these refugees live in camps or reception centres, where the physical and moral conditions are none too good, in spite of the genuine goodwill of the Greek Government, which is faced at the same time with serious economic and social problems such as that of the 700,000 persons displaced as a result of the civil war.
The Greek Government is anxious to do all it can to arrange for the emigration of most of the refugees. This is largely in keeping with the wishes of the refugees themselves, especially in view of the country's economic situation. Although in Greece the refugees have priority with the agencies concerned with emigration, and a number of refugees have actually been enabled to emigrate during the last few years, it looks as if altogether some 2,500 families or single persons will be unable to leave Greece in the reasonably near future. Hence the only way of improving the situation of these refugees is by arranging for their settlement within the country.
The integration of refugees in Greece is unfortunately greatly hampered by the unemployment and under-employment endemic in the economic life of Greece. However, the number of refugees to be resettled in the country is fairly small in relationship to the total population (about 1.5 per thousand) and the fact that most of the post-war refugees are of Greek ethnic origin is a point in favour of their assimilation. Actually, the Greek Government has already taken various steps to facilitate the settlement in the country of refugees of Greek origin who are unable to emigrate, for example by building a number of housing colonies and by allowing the refugees to apply for jobs.
A preliminary study of the problem of integration of refugees in Greece indicates that the total capital required would be somewhere in the neighbourhood of 75,000 million drachmas (or 5 million US dollars). Part of this sum could be furnished by the Greek Government, especially if current policy aimed at financial stability is sufficiently successful to warrant expanding the credit policy in due course. Part of the capital (some two-thirds or half of the total required) would nevertheless have to be found abroad.
The above detailed study of the situation in Germany, Austria and Greece indicates that it is wrong for the integration of refugees to be regarded, as occasionally it is, as a social relief measure pure and simple. Obviously, the assimilation of refugees, like any other operation concerned with the human factor, has a distinctly social character; but one cannot on that account separate integration from its economic context. In fact, the economic consequences of the assimilation of refugees are so important in certain countries that the problem is undoubtedly an economic and social one in the broadest sense.
The inclusion of refugee integration schemes in economic development plans, where these exist, and, in a more general way, the co-ordination of such schemes with the economic and social policy of the countries concerned, does not, of course, imply that the mere implementation of economic development schemes or the pursuit of a more or less satisfactory economic and social policy will automatically solve the refugee problem. Even leaving aside the purely legal factors, the situation of refugees differs from that of nationals, and it is important that economic recovery and development plans (or economic and social policies) should include special arrangements for the assimilation and integration of refugees. Such arrangements will involve, according to circumstances, either legislative provisions and regulations, or the establishment of bodies specifically concerned with the assimilation of refugees.
Although the measures required to cope with the problem of the integration of refugees are bound to differ from one country to another according to the position of the refugees and the conditions prevailing in the receiving countries, the following basic requirements hold good generally :
Refugees must be provided with decent housing, located as far as possible in places where the possibilities of employment are greatest;
An attempt must be made to foster the employment of refugees within the framework of general economic development, especially by means of occupational training or re-training;
Refugees must be given an opportunity to engage in independent occupations such as agriculture, trade, handicrafts and the professions.
Quite apart from the legal and other measures needed for the fulfilment of these general requirements, considerable capital will usually be called for. It is, of course, essential that the governments of countries where the refugees are living should try to solve these problems satisfactorily and to provide the refugees, directly or indirectly, with the administrative, technical and financial means they require, as far as their resources permit. It is, of course, true that at the outset these countries often have to bear a very heavy burden as a result of the influx of refugees, but ultimately they will benefit most from the advantages accruing from the integration of refugees, if due provision is made for this by the adoption of the measures described above.
But in the particular case of countries economically weakened by the war or underdeveloped countries, the implementation of integration schemes is frequently beyond their capacity and especially their financial capacity. This is particularly true when the governments concerned are faced with problems arising out of the existence of large groups of national refugees who do not come under the mandate of the Office of the High Commissioner. In these countries no lasting solution to the refugee problem is possible unless the means available at home are supplemented by financial assistance on an international scale
As things are at present, however, and particularly in view of the statutes of the existing specialised agencies, international financial assistance can only be furnished at the request of the governments directly concernedNote. This means that the latter are obliged to apply for assistance on behalf of the refugees under international mandate, even when in many cases they cannot even obtain all the capital they require for the basic economic development of the country or for the integration of national refugees. Hence the integration of refugees under international mandate seems to call more and more for the establishment of appropriate international machinery for financing this operation in accordance with a specific procedure, without asking countries which are in unusual difficulties, owing to political circumstances or geographical position, to give undertakings which they cannot properly carry out. Failing such machinery, it is difficult to see how the refugee problem can be solved in any lasting manner, and how the material, moral and social evil of the refugee camps can be removed. Just as the members of the international communities are attempting not merely to draw up programmes for economic developments in most countries of the world, but at the same time to provide the financial assistance needed for the realisation of their plans, they should also endeavour to furnish whatever funds are required to ensure that the efforts to achieve a lasting solution of the problem of the refugees under international mandate should progress from the study and recommendation stage to the stage of practical and concrete achievements.
In the following pages the refugee situation in the other European countries is studied at some length. It should be mentioned that a study of the assimilation of refugees in Italy is under consideration.
The problems of the integration of refugees in Italy are to be studied in the near future by specialists of this Office, but for the time-being—as the prospects for the integration of refugees in Italy are very slight—migration must continue to offer the best solution to their problems.
At the end of the I. R. 0. operations in Italy, there remained some 20,000 refugees registered with that organisation. In the final agreement made with I. R. O., the Italian Government accepted responsibility for the maintenance of 9,500 refugees, 4,000 of whom were in camps which were transferred from I. R. O. The material situation of the refugees in these four camps appears generally satisfactory.
There are amongst the out-of-camp population a considerable number of refugees who are in very difficult circumstances. It is hoped that contributions from the Assistance Fund will bring some relief to these refugees.
An agreement has been signed between the Italian Government and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees concerning the establishment of a branch office in Italy. Through an exchange of letters a Committee consisting of two representatives of the Italian Government and two representatives of the High Commissioner has been set up to decide upon the admission of persons to the category of refugee.
These refugees and those who were under I. R. O. mandate will be given the identity card which is given to foreigners, as well as a London Travel Document; in this way their movement and the possibilities of their obtaining emigration visas will be facilitated.
The Italian Government has taken action in order to improve the condition of the new refugees who are living in Fraschetti Camp.
The situation of the refugees in Trieste is particularly urgent. Despite the fact that attention was drawn to this problem on several occasions by the General Council of I. R. O., and despite the generous efforts of voluntary agencies and some governments such as Switzerland which has given 175,000 Swiss francs, and Sweden which has taken some of the tubercular children from Trieste, the condition of the refugees in Trieste has not been much improved.
At the present time there are in the camps administered by the Allied Military Government in Trieste, and paid for by the Italian Government, some 3,500 refugees who are the concern of the Office of U. N. H. C. R., and outside the camps there are an additional 1,500. The Allied Military Government has done its best to equip as well as possible the premises which are at its disposal for housing refugees, and has constructed a sanatorium for T. B. refugees.
The material conditions in which the refugees are living are, generally speaking, far from satisfactory. One of the camps is located in an old prison which is entirely unsuitable, from a sanitary point of view, for use as a camp. In the other three centres, refugees suffer constant discomfort due to overcrowding and lack of privacy in the temporary barracks which, despite the combined initiative and good-will of the Allied authorities, the voluntary agencies and the refugees themselves, have not yet been transformed into quarters suitable to house such a large number of persons.
Allied Military Government is fully aware of the situation and is doing all in its power to deal with the problem. It started the construction of a new centre to accommodate 900 refugees in more satisfactory conditions.
In spite of the efforts made by the Military Government, for whom the resettlement of these refugees is a constant concern, departures from Trieste are unfortunately at such a low rate that they do not compensate for the arrival of new refugees.
The French Government has given its agreement to the establishment in Paris of a branch office of the High Commissioner for Refugees as from 1st September, 1952. Its precise competence will be defined in an agreement with the French Government.
The French Parliament recently enacted a law which gives to a French Government Office many of the functions which were formerly performed by the International Refugee Organisation for the protection of refugees. The French Government Office will collaborate very closely with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Furthermore, the above-mentioned law gives to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees the mission of overall surveillance within the framework of the conventions and existing international arrangements in this field.
The Representative of the High Commissioner, who is a member of the Board of Direction of this Office, will participate in the activities of the Commission which has been created by the law with the object of judging eligibility appeals and giving advice on measures of expulsion against refugees.
The signature of the French Government to the Convention relating to the Status of Refugees will be given in the near future.
France has given asylum to several thousands of new refugees. It is difficult to estimate exactly the number of the refugees at present resident in France, owing to the constant arrivals and departures, but the best estimate available at the present time is that there are 350,000 refugees in France.
Refugees in France continue to benefit from legislation which is on the whole very favourable and which, in fact, practically assimilates them to nationals in the field of public assistance and social security.
The main difficulties encountered by refugees are connected with the permission to exercise wage-earning activities governed by legislation. Authorisation is granted freely to refugees to work in those salaried occupations where there is a shortage of labour, or which are not over-crowded, but this is not the case with all professions. However, a great number of refugees who are classified as privileged residents have, for all practical purposes, freedom of choice in respect of the wage-earning activities which they wish to undertake.
The Ministry of Labour has made great efforts, in co-operation with the voluntary agencies, to train or rehabilitate those refugees who have no special qualifications, and for this reason have the greatest difficulty in finding work. The Bureau for Employment and Advice (Bureau d'orientation et de placement) for foreign refugees, in which public and private agencies collaborate, continues to assist refugees to find employment.
Particular mention should be made of the work of the voluntary agencies in France, especially the Service social d'aide aux emigrants, the French branch of the International Social Service, which has been entrusted by the French Government with the task of giving material assistance to. refugees, for which purpose the French Government has allocated 350 million francs for the present fiscal year.
The activities of these organisations are of the greatest importance in the final assimilation of refugees in the economy of France.
There still remain, however, a great number of sick, old, and infirm refugees who, while benefiting in a general way from the French relief laws, or from the special assistance given to the refugees from the abovementioned special allocation, find themselves in a very precarious position, mainly because of their isolation and the fact that they have no family who can help them, as is usually the case for nationals.
The establishment of a branch office in Brussels, in January, 1952, which has responsibilities for refugees in Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg, ensured a continuity in the exercise of the functions of protection formerly performed by I. R. 0.
In Belgium there are some 60,000 refugees, of whom between 40,000 and 45,000 can, according to the Belgian Government, be considered to be firmly established; the remaining refugees, many of whom have not yet found work, require, in the opinion of the Belgian Government, individual legal protection from my Office.
The Belgian Government has signed the Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and has indicated its intention of ratifying it in the near future.
At the request of the Government, the Representative of U. N. H. C. R. has been charged with responsibilities for the determination of eligibility of refugees in Belgium.
The most important development during the past year has been the adoption by the Belgian Parliament of a new Aliens Law. The government took account of certain proposals made by the representative of this Office insofar as the law affects refugees. The law provides certain guarantees for refugees against expulsion, which in future cannot be pronounced without the prior agreement of a consultative commission composed of an honorary magistrate, a lawyer, and a person chosen at the request of the alien threatened with expulsion from a list drawn up by royal decree.
In the same liberal spirit, the Belgian Government has recently informed the Representative of U. N. H. C. R. that it will give instructions to its local authorities to reimburse to voluntary agencies the amount spent on material assistance to indigent refugees from the time of their arrival until such time as their situation is regularised and they are able to benefit from public assistance. Furthermore, the Belgian Government has recently granted an additional sum of 4 million Belgian francs to the Students' Assistance Fund, as the original funds granted by I. R. 0. for the maintenance of 350 students were exhausted.
Another most important décision of the Belgian Government on behalf of refugees is the decision to apply to all refugees as from 1st January, 1952, the provisions of article 17 of the Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, concerning wage-earning employment. By this measure refugees who fulfil one of the requirements of this article, that is to say, who have completed three years' uninterrupted residence in Belgium or who have a spouse or children of Belgian nationality, are thereby entitled to obtain the necessary permission to work. This decision, which does not give the refugees complete freedom of access to the profession or employment of their choice, will nevertheless greatly assist in the integration of those who are now in Belgium.
The Netherlands Government has agreed to the appointment of a representative of this Office at The Hague, administratively responsible to the representative- in Brussels, who is himself accredited to the three Benelux countries.
The Netherlands Government has signed the Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and will shortly undertake the necessary proceedings for its ratification.
The International Refugee Organisation established a Refugee Service Committee in the Netherlands, composed of representatives of the voluntary agencies, which took charge of all questions of material assistance to refugees. My representative in that country will undoubtedly work in the closest liaison with the committee. In addition to the refugees who were in the Netherlands before the war, a further 10,000 have entered the country since 1945 and of these 7,000 have remained. These are for the greater part former members of the Polish army and displaced persons who were recruited in Germany in 1947 and 1948.
A most valuable contribution made by the Netherlands Government towards a solution of the refugee problem, and one which indicates its continued interest, was its decision in September, 1951 to accept 200 new refugees who were classified as needy cases.
In general, refugees who are in the Netherlands are in the process of being integrated into the economy of the country. For all practical purposes they already enjoy the treatment accorded to refugees under the Convention relating to the Status of Refugees.
At the request of the Government of Luxembourg, a representative of my Office has been appointed to be responsible for liaison between the branch office in Brussels and the Government of Luxembourg.
The Government of Luxembourg has signed the Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, and already gives to the 750 refugees within its territory treatment which is in accordance with the principles of this convention.
In the following pages a brief account is given of the situation of refugees coming under the mandate of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees outside of Europe.
The governments of the countries of the Near and Middle East are faced with serious problems of their own ethnic refugees. In Turkey, the Government is doing everything within its power to re-establish the large numbers of refugees who have been expelled from Bulgaria. The Governments of Egypt, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, Lebanon and Syria are devoting very considerable efforts, with the help of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, to finding solutions for the Arab refugees. There are, however, in each of these countries small numbers of other refugees who are the concern of the Office of the High Commissioner.
From the first rapid survey of the situation, it would appear that the countries in these areas which have given asylum to the refugees within the mandate of the Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees are not in a position to take the necessary measures to ensure the final establishment of all of them.
A certain number of refugees coming under U. N. H. C. R. mandate has already been naturalised, as for instance, have 150 Circassians in Jordan and 47 in Syria.
In Turkey, after the end of the I. R. 0. operations, some 700 refugees within the mandate of the Organisation remained. To assist these refugees, I. R. 0. established a Refugee Service Committee and endowed it with some funds to provide assistance. This committee is working energetically on behalf of the refugees and has recently been authorised by the Turkish Government to rent a farm in Thrace which would offer opportunities for the settlement of approximately 300 refugees.
It is evident that funds will be required to equip and provide the initial capital for the working of this farm. It is hoped that, with local contributions which are being sought and with assistance given by this Office, this most praiseworthy undertaking will also provide some opportunities for new refugees, who are arriving at the average rate of about twenty a month.
There are in Iran some 1,800 refugees coming under the mandate of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. The Honorary Representative of the U. N. H. C. R. and the voluntary agencies are studying with the help of the Iranian authorities the possibilities of the emigration of a group of these refugees and the settlement of another.
One of the most urgent problems confronting the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees today is the critical situation in China, where—in addition to the 3,500 cx-I. R. 0. refugees—there are 4,000 refugees who, prima facie, come within the mandate of the United Nations High Commissioner. At the present time approximately 1,600 are receiving emergency assistance and an additional 100 are in need of aid to keep them from destitution.
For the time being the critical housing conditions in Hongkong today, caused by the great influx of refugees, have prevented the British Government from agreeing to the entry into the Colony of any persons not in possession of visas or promises of visas. This situation has seriously reduced the hope of resettlement from China.
A further matter which has aggravated the already difficult situation in China is the continued economic and political deterioration; and the people are more and more subjected to the pressures of the anti-foreign campaigns being launched by the Chinese People's Government. Thus a feeling of despair has developed among these refugees, which has been further sharpened by veiled threats of expulsion and forced repatriation.
After four months operation in China it has become clear that it will not be possible to find a permanent solution to the refugee problem there without the further assistance of governments in providing resettlement opportunities. To enable emergency assistance to continue to be given to the most destitute of these people while such resettlement opportunities are being sought, stringent curtailments and adjustments in care and maintenance have been made, which will make possible a further two-months operation in Shanghai to mid- September, 1952.
As the British Government has generously made available to the United Nations Refugee Emergency Fund £100,000, the High Commissioner has decided that this money will be kept for urgent aid to the refugees in China. A programme has therefore been prepared which will enable the Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees to carry out an emergency aid programme until the early part of 1953. Meanwhile it is hoped that the response of governments in granting visas will be a generous one, so that a final solution may be found in the shortest possible time.
During its sixth session, the General Assembly adopted a resolution authorising the High Commissioner to appeal for funds for the purpose of giving emergency aid to the most needy groups of refugees within his mandate. In requesting this authorisation, the High Commissioner pointed out to the Third Committee of the General Assembly that it was not his intention to engage in any largescale operation of care and maintenance for refugees, and emphasised that the major respossibility for this must be borne by the governments in whose territories they are situated.
He said that he intended to ask the international voluntary agencies to co-operate in the dispensing of material assistance and he suggested that S 3 million would enable him to draft emergency programmes designed to alleviate the hardships of the most destitute amongst refugees. The Refugee Emergency Fund will serve three purposes :
As already stated, there are approximately 7-8,000 refugees in the Mainland of China, most of them concentrated in Shanghai. Between 2-3,000 refugees are destitute and require financial assistance.
The influx of refugees from Eastern Europe constitutes a continuing problem. Between 20 and 30 thousand people cross the borders every year. Most of them arrive with little luggage and practically no clothes except those worn during their trek. They have to start life anew and their greatest need, after moral and spiritual support, are clothes, medical care and personal attention. In most countries of asylum, although they are given shelter, tho refugees are not provided with the basic necessities of life which are given to other refugees by the governments concerned.
As far as the residual group of I. R. O. refugees is concerned, public relief is not always adequate to provide for the additional needs of the old, the sick, the children and the handicapped. For these groups extra medical facilities, food and clothing, are often necessary to protect them against near-starvation and complete destitution.
The following sums have been contributed or pledged up to 20th August 1952 :
Contributions in cash, 20th August, 1952.
Governmental :
Germany - $ 11,904.75
Germany - 1,190.45
Luxembourg - 970.00
Sweden. - 19,491.90
Norway - 14,103.90
Switzerland - 69,284.05
$ 116,945.05
Inter-Governmental Agencies, etc.:
I. R. O. for Shanghai - 235,869.00
UK High Commissioner for Germany - 2,831.80
$ 238,700.80
Private Individuals :
(including U. N. H. C. R. staff contributions) - 3,711.80
$ 3,711.80
$ 359,357.65
Pledges
Greece - 1,000.00
United Kingdom. - 279,907.65
Denmark 14,477.77
$ 295,385.42
Ford Foundation Grant :
The Ford Foundation has made available, for the financing of “ pilot projects ” of integration of refugees, assimilation, training of youth, etc. an amount of $2,900.000. The High Commissioner is the trustee for this fund and the “ pilot projects ” will be executed by those voluntary agencies selected by the High Commissioner for the benefit of refugees coming under U. N. H. C. R. mandate, and other refugees such as Heimatvertriebene in Western Germany.
This survey of the refugee situation in different countries will certainly enable the Council of Europe to form some appreciation of the tasks which still remain to be carried out before a permanent solution has been found for the refugees who are the concern of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
Five years ago, when U. N. R. R. A. was in full operation, and two years ago when the International Refugee Organisation was nearing the peak of its activities, the people of the woi'ld were aware of their basic responsibility towards the refugee, but unfortunately there are now signs that general interest in the question is declining. The remarkable effort of international co-operation embodied in these two organisations resulted in outstanding achievements. U. N. R. R. A. fed, clothed and repatriated millions of people. Tho International Refugee Organisation resettled over a million refugees.
Much international attention has been paid in the past to the problems of the care and maintenance and the resettlement of refugees, but very little attention has been given to the long-term problems of assimilation. While the governments of the countries of residence of refugees are, generally speaking, able to support the continued care and maintenance of refugees, complete responsibility for long-term plans for their economic integration appears, at the present time, to be beyond their capacity. In this sphere, international action is necessary if a permanent solution for the refugee problems which concern this Office is to be found.
At the present time there are four different organisations dealing with the problems of refugees in Europe—the Provisional Intergovernmental Committee for the Movement of Migrants from Europe, the International Labour Office, the President's Escapee Programme and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. As these Offices are represented in all or most of the countries of residence of refugees, administrative costs arc being duplicated, quite apart from tho fact that the refugee is now confused as to the correct organisation to approach for his particular case.
Though the contribution which can be made, in the different fields concerning the refugee problem, by each international, intergovernmental or governmental organisation is not under-estimated, it is obvious that efforts are being wasted because the programmes being carried out by these organisations arc not fully co-ordinated, and particularly as each organisation is tackling the same problem from a different angle, with specific aims in view and ' usually on the basis of a different definition of the term " refugee ". This Office, which was created by the United Nations, has only one aim in mind—the solution of the problem of refugees as a whole, and urges that all efforts be canalised through one channel in order to avoid duplication of work and waste of this valuable effort.
It is the earnest hope of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees that all Member Governments of the Council of Europe who are either members of the United Nations or of the Advisory Committee of the High Commissioner will take these facts into consideration and will support, by all possible means, the efforts of the High Commissioner for Refugees to obtain better co-ordination among the various organisations working on the problem of refugees and will request their representatives in these organisations to highlight the necessity for such co-ordination.
The liaison already established between the Council of Europe and this Office will undoubtedly develop still further for the ultimate benefit of the refugees.