On 6th November 1956, the Committee of Ministers instructed the Acting Secretary- General to send a senior official of the Secretariat-General to Vienna immediately to examine the situation of the Hungarian refugees on the spot, in co-operation with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. This action of the Committee of Ministers coincided with a similar desire expressed by the President of the Assembly and by the Special Representative for National Refugees and Overpopulation.
M. von Schmieden, Director of Research, was designated by the Acting Secretary-General and instructed to report on his mission as early as possible.
In the light of M. von Schmieden's report, the Committee of Ministers approved, on 12th November, the principle of a collective contribution by the Council of Europe to the Hungarian refugees.
Without waiting for this, Member Governments had individually, from the very beginning of the crisis in Hungary, taken emergency measures to help the Hungarian refugees.
On 3rd December the Committee of Ministers decided to make a grant of 100 million French francs as the Council's collective contribution to the Hungarian refugees. This was paid directly to the Austrian Government (see Resolution (56) 20).
The Committee of Ministers also decided to communicate to the Assembly information about the measures individually taken or contemplated by Member Governments to help the Hungarian refugees.
The present document gives a summary of these measures, based on the information transmitted to the Secretariat-General by Member Governments between 5th and 30th November. Since this information was sent in, many additional steps have been taken by Governments; the Assembly will be informed of these in later communications.
According to the most recent information received by the Permanent Representative of Austria to the Council of Europe, the present position in Austria is as follows :
Since the number of Hungarian refugees crossing the Austrian frontier has still not diminished (press reports that the number has decreased are incorrect), the financial burden which Austria is obliged to shoulder is becoming increasingly heavy. The Federal Government of Austria considers it extremely urgent for measures to be taken to finance this expenditure. Of the suggestions made by the Secretariat, the contribution of funds to help the Austrian Government's work for the Hungarian refugees is felt to be the most valuable assistance that the Council of Europe can render. The Federal Government had originally solicited the co-operation of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, but the request was made at a time when it was impossible to foresee the increase in the number of refugees. Later, when it became clear that the number of refugees entering Austria would be several times larger than originally expected, the Austrian Government applied directly to. other States; since Austria had had to meet a large proportion of the expenditure directly, it had become desirable for financial contributions to be made as far as possible to the Austrian Government directly.
The following information is additional to that already supplied by the Austrian Government :
By 1st December 1956,100,500 refugees from Hungary had crossed the Austrian frontier, 28,000 of these had been sent on to other countries. But the number of refugees entering Austria (from 3,000 to 4,000 a day) is still greater than the number being sent through to other countries. So far the Federal Government of Austria has spent 120 million schillings; the expenditure to be met during the next six months must be reckoned on the basis of 70,000 refugees remaining in Austria (not 20,000 as previously stated) and will reach the figure of 400 million schillings.
Accordingly, the Austrian Government would like all Governments to be requested not only to make every possible effort to take in refugees but also to bear in mind that very large sums will have to be found to support the refugees who remain in Austria and are, consequently, being paid for by the Austrian Government.
Whilst it most certainly welcomes the suggestions made by the Secretariat in Document CM (56) 143, Sections B and C, the Austrian Government emphasises that measures to meet financial needs are the most urgent and important of all.
So far Belgium has taken in a little over 3,000 Hungarian refugees. The Government has placed buildings, services and funds (now amounting to 10 million Belgian francs) at the disposal of specialised organisations. Large contributions have also been received from private sources.
On their arrival in Belgium the refugees are sent to one or other of the five reception centres set up by the specialised organisations; they are looked after there and receive medical attention, and the administrative formalities are attended to. The idea is to make the refugees' stay in the reception centres as brief as possible, and the immediate task is to rehabilitate them both socially and economically, without any discrimination being made between them and Belgian nationals. The families are classified and their active members are directed toward employment openings, freedom of choice being fully respected.
Numerous educational establishments, training schools and universities have taken steps to receive a certain number of young refugees.
In addition, various Belgian charitable institutions have sent food, clothing and medical supplies to Hungary.
The Danish Government has made 30,000 dollars available to the High Commissioner for Refugees, and 20,000 dollars to the I. C. E. M. The subscriptions collected by the Danish Red Cross at present amount to 2,5 million crowns; they are for financing the establishment in Hungary of a mobile hospital of 200 beds with a staff of 148, including 12 doctors and 50 nurses, and for financing the despatch of emergency aid—of which 148 tons of provisions, 16 tons of medical supplies and 35 tons of hospital apparatus and equipment have already been sent.
The mobile hospital reached Vienna on 3rd November; it has not been allowed to cross the Hungarian frontier—and has accordingly placed itself at the disposal of the refugees at Graz until such time as it receives permission to enter Hungary.
From the outset of the events in Hungary the French Government has been giving much thought to the problem of extending humanitarian assistance to the victims and the refugees. Various kinds of help have been given :
By 7th November more than 80 tons of medical supplies, food, clothing, etc., had been collected and sent to Hungary and Austria.
A public subscription has been opened : the exact amount subscribed is not yet known, but the generous response from the public, right from the beginning, cannot go without mention : in Paris alone 5 million francs were subscribed during the first two days.
The French Government has lent the support of the public authorities to the action by the Comité de Secours pour les Sinistrés and the Red Cross, in particular by making available to them the transport and other facilities required for despatching gifts to the Hungarian refugees.
France has decided to take in all Hungarian refugees who apply to it for asylum.
The Greek Red Cross has already placed 2,000 dollars at the disposal of the Austrian Red Cross to help the Hungarian refugees. Large amounts of medical supplies and of preserved foodstuffs have also been sent to the Austrian Red Cross for distribution to the refugees. The gift may be valued at about 10,000 dollars.
In addition, the Greek Government has decided to despatch 30 tons of raisins, worth about 10,000 dollars to the Hungarian refugees as speedily as possible.
The Greek Government may make an additional contribution to help the Hungarian refugees later on if it is in a position to do so, and in the light of the information it receives following M. von Schmieden's return from Vienna.
The Irish Red Cross Society has sent £1,700 worth of immediate aid. The Red Cross is also receiving a steady flow of large sums as a result of a nation-wide appeal, and of a national fund opened on 11th November.
The Irish Government is discussing with the Red Cross how best to relieve the distress, and is prepared to supplement, to the full extent that may be required, the fund opened by that body.
The national relief fund for Hungarian refugees organised by the Irish Red Cross Society has realised over £100,000. The International Red Cross is being consulted on the use to which the money should be put.
In addition, the Irish Government is prepared to receive up to 1,000 Hungarian refugees.
1. The number of Hungarian refugees to whom the Italian Government has decided to offer temporary hospitality has been raised from 2,000 to 4,000.
The Italian Red Cross has already received 3,000 refugees at the Ravenna, Tirre-nia and Marina di Massa Reception Centres. Several hundred refugees have been taken in by private individuals, and by other private or religious relief bodies.
2. Several universities, in particular Padua University, have taken in Hungarian students at the university hostels.
3. Very large stocks of relief supplies and equipment have been sent to Vienna : on 20th November, 30 wagons and several dozen lorries of food, clothing and miscellaneous equipment such as mobile kitchens, camp beds, etc. had already reached the Austrian capital.
1. The Luxembourg Government has granted a total of one million Luxembourg francs for aid to Hungary and the relief of Hungarian refugees : 250,000 francs of this amount has been placed at the disposal of the United Nations High Commissioner for refugees, 250,000 francs to the I. C. E. M. and 500,000 francs to the Hungarian refugees in Luxembourg territory.
2. The Government has decided to give asylum to 300 Hungarian refugees. The precise number of the refugees, their selection and transport are being negotiated with the I. E. C. M.
3. LGifts by non-governmental institutions and bodies are as follows :
By 8th November the Norwegian Red Cross had collected subscriptions amounting to 1.5 million crowns (74 million French francs). These subscriptions are being raised in a number of different ways : through radio programmes, theatrical performances, the contribution of one hour's wages by workers, scouts, schools, etc.
By that date six aircraft and a convoy of lorries had been despatched, carrying 40 tons of food and medical supplies worth 200,000 crowns (9.7 million French francs).
Regarding the possible adoption of Hungarian refugees, the Norwegian authorities have got in touch with Geneva and Vienna with a view to ascertaining the best way of resolving the problem.
By 30th November the Norwegian Red Cross and the Norwegian Council of Refugees, acting in co-operation, had provided Austria with immediate aid amounting approximately to 4 million Norwegian crowns (about 200 million French francs). The money already spent by the Red Cross on immediate relief work in Hungary is not included in this amount.
The Norwegian Council for Refugees has set up a refugee reception centre in Austria, the Fridtjorf Nansen-Heim, which can accommodate 1,200 refugees. It is also planning to open three other centres, to accommodate from 1,500 to 2,000 refugees. Steps have now been taken to set up two of these, which will deal with 1,000 refugees.
The Norwegian Government has so far granted 1.5 million Norwegian crowns, a small part of which has already been used. It has not yet been decided whether the money is to be spent on the reception centres of thé Norwegian Council for Refugees in Austria, or on bringing refugees to Norway. The Norwegian authorities consider that the transfer of refugees to Norway is a matter of increasing urgency on account of the present situation in Austria. The Government believes that it would be a fair arrangement for Norway to admit a number of refugees proportionate to the number admitted by other countries. Return visas will not be required and selection committees will not be sent to Austria. It will just be a question of admitting to Norway refugees who want to go there.
Report on the situation as at 8th November 1956 :
The Federal Government has decided to receive 3,000 refugees. A reception committee was sent to Vienna immediately and the first parties of refugees have already reached the Federal Republic.
(a) As a first step, the Federal Government has made a gift of one million D M.
(b) The German Red Cross has opened a fund for Hungarian refugees, to which over 5 million D M. has been contributed. Berlin alone has given 700,000 D M. and 60 tons of clothing.
The German Red Cross maintained a first-aid train in Budapest during the conflict. There is another hospital train at Vienna to assist the Hungarian refugees. In addition, the German Red Cross is providing the International Red Cross in Austria with substantial help in the form of vehicles, medical supplies and gifts in kind.
The action taken by the Federal Government and the German Red Cross to assist the Hungarian refugees is to continue.
The British Government has decided to authorise the admission of 2,500 Hungarian refugees into the United Kingdom. The Government realises that it is not enough to receive refugees, and that steps must also be taken to look after them and, so far as possible, to integrate them into the life of the community. Accordingly, the British Government discussed with the British Council for Aid to Refugees (B. C. A. R.) what arrangements should be made for the reception and care of the refugees in the United Kingdom and for finding them, where possible, suitable employment. The B. C. A. R. represents the main voluntary organisations dealing with refugees in the United Kingdom, and it is launching a special appeal to canalise the great wave of sympathy for the Hungarians which is sweeping the country. An appeal is also being made by the United Nations Association, in addition to its recent appeal on behalf of refugees in general.
The British Government has agreed to contribute up to £10,000 towards the administrative expenses incurred by the B. C. A. R. in carrying out its plan, which is being put into immediate effect.
Before the Soviet Union's repressive action in Hungary, the British Government had made the Red Cross two grants of £25,000 each for sending parcels to the Hungarian people. In addition, money and offers of supplies have been received from the Trade Union Congress, the Red Cross and religious organisations in the United Kingdom. The public has responded to these appeals with particular generosity. Austria is, of course, receiving help under the four-year programme of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, to which the United Kingdom contributed £80,000 in the current year (1956). The Austrian Government is entitled to apply in due course for further assistance from the United Nations High Commissioner in respect of the new refugees.
1. The Saar Government has transferred to the Headquarters of the German Red Cross 5 million French francs to relieve the Hungarian people.
2. The towns and communes of the Saar have similarly contributed 4 million French francs.
3. The Saar Red Cross has sent bandages, concentrated foods for children, blood plasma and other products worth over 2.5 million francs.
4. In addition, 5 million francs donated to the Saar Red Cross by private persons is now at the disposal of the Headquarters of the German Red Cross..
This does not exhaust Saar aid to Hungary.
Swedish aid to Hungary up to 30th November was estimated at approximately 25 million crowns (5 million dollars). Nine million crowns (2 million dollars) of this represent the estimated expenditure incurred by the State in receiving 3,000 Hungarian refugees in Sweden. The total value of aid given by the Government to the Red Cross in the form of medical supplies and instruments and pharmaceutical products is 495,000 crowns. The Government has also made a new Swedish grant of 500,000 crowns, but no decision has yet been taken about its precise uses.
According to a provisional estimate, private organisations had by 30th November received and sent to Austria and to Hungary aid in kind worth some 8 million crowns. 2.55 million crowns of this represent the value of 337 tons of instruments, pharmaceutical products, medical supplies and clothing sent through the Red Cross. The Swedish Help for Children Association has sent about 817,000 crowns' worth of children's clothing, food and pharmaceutical products. It is also paying, for three months, the running expenses of five Austrian institutions capable of accommodating 325 children. The Swedish Mission in Europe Association has made itself responsible for the administration of two Austrian refugee camps, capable of taking in 1,330 refugees, and is bearing the cost of feeding some 150 refugees. It also contemplates taking care of 200 refugees in the Federal Republic of Germany, Denmark and Sweden.
By 30th November the Swedish radio had collected over 7.1 million crowns. The money has been divided between the Red Cross and the Help for Children Association. Only part of it has so far been used.
Regarding the number of refugees who are to be admitted into Sweden, the figure of 3,000 mentioned is not to be regarded as the ceiling.. The Swedish Government is prepared to consider increasing the number, if necessary.
Initial measures :
The Turkish Red Cross has already sent large quantities of medical supplies and blankets to Vienna for the Hungarian refugees.
The Turkish Government has decided to receive 500 Hungarian refugees in Turkey..