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Hungarian refugees in Austria who wish to settle in a member country of the Council of Europe

Report | Doc. 914 | 08 December 1958

Committee
Committee on Migration, Refugees and Population
Rapporteur :
Mr Ernst PAUL, Germany
Origin
See 29th Sitting, 21st January 1959 (draft Recommendation adopted), and Recommendation 188. 1958 - 10th Session - Third part
Thesaurus

A Draft Recommendation

The Assembly,

Considering that there were still 15,700 Hungarian refugees, including 5,700 living in camps, in Austria on 15th October 1958 ;

Being informed that, according to an inquiry carried out by the Intergovernmental Committee for European Migration, about 1,000 of these refugees have expressed the wish to settle in a member country of the Council of Europe,

Recommends that the Committee of Ministers should invite Member Governments to offer Hungarian refugees in Austria without delay, through the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, opportunities for resettlement, taking into consideration, as far as possible, the preferences expressed by these refugees with regard to their emigration.

B Explanatory Memorandum

1

On 15th October 1958 there were still 15,700 Hungarian refugees in Austria, 5,700 of them in camps. According to a survey made by the Intergovernmental Committee for European Migration, some 7,000 of these refugees have expressed a wish to be resettled outside Austria, over 1,000 of them in the following countries, Members of the Council of Europe.

COUNTRY OF PREFERENCE REFUGEES OF WHOM DIFFICULT CASES
Belgium 133
Denmark 21 3
France 33
Germany, Federal Republic of 555 14
Greece 1
Italy 6 1
Netherlands 35 1
Norway 11
Sweden 203 3
United Kingdom 54 7
TOTAL. 1,052 29

However, a difficulty arising from such a survey is that refugees will frequently take advantage of schemes as they arise, rather than wait to go to the country of their first preference. Luxembourg is not included in the above list, yet over 200 Hungarians have just come forward now that resettlement possibilities have been offered by that country. The list may therefore be considered as indicating minimum figures.