FIRST DRAFT OF DISPLACED PERSONS FOR NEW ZEALAND

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27040, 26 March 1949, Page 8

FIRST DRAFT OF DISPLACED PERSONS FOR NEW ZEALAND

New Zealand Press Association—Copyright

LONDON, Mar. 25.

Nearly 500 of the 1000 displaced persons in Germany which the New Zealand Government has agreed to accept have been selected by the Dominion’s three immigration officers. When the selection is completed a ship will be provided by the International Refugee Organisation to take them to New Zealand. It will probably leave a southern European port in May and reach the Dominion at the end of June. Mr J. V. Brennan, chief immigration officer in London, recently visited the selection “ team ” in Germany. It has completed its work in Austria, and is shortly moving from the British to the American zone. “Most of those so far chosen are Balts, and I am favourably impressed by the type of people coming forward,” said Mr Brennan.

“I feel we shall get some good settlers. Quite a number speak good English and many of them are trilingual. They speak fluent German in addition to their own language.”

Many family groups have been selected for manual work on hydroelectric construction work. Single women will go to hospitals. Some orphan children and elderly people will also be selected.