Report to the ... Zionist Congress and to the Council of the Jewish Agency in ... · 1935-08-01 · 8.1935 · p. Seite 277

Immigration from Soviet Russia forms a chapter by itself. It consists partly of the last remaining Zionists who are in exile or prison because of their Zionist activities or outlook, and partly of .aged relations sent for by their children in Palestine. Immigration from Russia has decreased in the last few years because of the difficulties made by the authorities there in granting passports, although the Jewish Agency can greatly facilitate the granting of certificates to these immigrants. Table 7. Decrease of Immigration from Russia to Palestine. Year. Number. Year. Number. 1925 ... 7780 1930 ... 425 1926 ... 1918 1931 ... 357 1927 ... 506 1932 ... 118 1928 ... 277 1933 ... 408 1929 ... 399 1934 ... 501 The chief obstacle that frustrates all our efforts to increase immigration from Russia is the large sum demanded by the Soviet Government for permission to leave—£100 for each adult (in addition to the cost of the journey). That is why many of the Zionists in exile who had been released from prison could not avail themselves of the certificates sent them by the Immigration Department but had to remain in Siberia many years longer in misery .and despair. According to information recently received, there are prospects of its being made a little easier for Zionists who have already completed their sentences in prison or exile to receive permits to leave the country, and the Immigration Department is making every effort to help them. Indeed, every effort has been made to facilitate immigration from every country where the persecution or anti-Jewish discrimination has become intensified—the Yemen, Greece, etc. The tendency to immigrate has become more noticeable too latterly among the Oriental and Sephardi communities. The number of Oriental immigrants amounted to 2,626 in 1933 and 4,089 in 1934. From the Yemen, where about 40,000 Jews live in conditions of great distress, subject to cruel tyranny, more than 3,000 emigrated to Palestine in the past two years, while large numbers of them flee from persecution to Aden and thence to Palestine. Immigration from Greece has also grown since certificates were granted to hundreds of Jews from Salonika, who are skilled in dock labour, to come to Palestine and work at the Haifa port. To these countries have also to be added Austria, Turkey and others from which Jews are seeking to migrate. But the certificates allow only thousands to immigrate from among the scores of thousands of refugees who are wandering from one country to another. 277