Frontier Closed To Refugees

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31464, 2 September 1967, Page 13

Frontier Closed To Refugees

(N Z. Press Association—Copyright)

JERICHO (Jordan), September 1. The return of Jordanian refugees officially ended last night and the Allenby and Umm-Shart bridges over which they crossed were closed, the “New York Times” News Service reported.

The applications of about 7000 additional “new” refugees had been approved by Israel. But these would be permitted to return only after special arrangements had been made for them.

Mr Mair Silverstone, di-rector-general of the Ministry of the Interior, met Jordanian and Red Cross officials last night at the Allenby bridge. He Informed them that the large-scale return of the refugees had ended. The trucks and buses that have been taking these refugees to their homes in the west bank area of Israelioccupied Jordan have been dispersed and the offices for dealing with the refugees have been closed. “This does not mean that all refugee traffic has ended,” a Foreign Ministry source said. Israel would continue to assist in the reunification of families divided by the fighting in June, but applications for this would have to come directly from west bank residents, the source said. In London, a Foreign Office spokesman said Britain had urged Israel to extend the time limit for Arab refugees wishing to return to the west bank, said United Press International. “It would be deplorable,” said a spokesman, “if, for the (ack of a little more time, this new element of west-bankers was permanently added to the already existing refugee problem.”