JEWS AND PALESTINE

Greymouth Evening Star, 14 July 1939, Page 7

JEWS AND PALESTINE

ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION.

[BRITISH OFFICIAL WIRELESS.]

RUGBY, July 12.

In announcing, in the Commons, the suspension of immigration to Palestine for the next quota period (October 1 to March 31), owing to the extent of illegal Jewish immigration, Mr. MacDonald said: — “The Government announced its readiness to facilitate the immigration of Jews into Palestine up to 75,000 during the five years from April 1 last.”

“We are particularly anxious to help the settlement of,the Jewish refugees from central Europe and special provision was therefore made for the admission of these, but during the last few months there have been organised attempts to defeat the proper regulation of immigration by traffic in illegal immigrants. “Since many of these illegal immigrants are Jews from Poland and Roumania, the movement even threatens to some extent our effort to help refugees. “The British Government is determined to prevent this attempt to defeat the law of Palestine, an attempt which in any case is perpetuating the bitterness in that country. “The numbers of illegal immigrants who remain in Palestine are being deducted from the future quotas of legal immigrants. These numbers have been such lately that I have now authorised the High Commissioner in Palestine (Sir Harold Mac Michael) to announce that no immigration quota will be issued for the next quota period, that is for the six months from October 1 to March 31, 1940.

“Whether there will be a resumption of the immigration quotas after that date must depend upon the circumstances then prevailing regarding illegal immigration.”