CO129-581-16 British propaganda in Hong Kong 18-4-1939 - 29-10-1939 — Page 76

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Illegal Immigration into Falestine.

Because of the large number of illegal immigrants who have

entered Palestine recently, the Secretary of State for the Colonies

has authorised the suspension of the Jewish immigration quota for

six months beginning on the first of October.

Between the first of April and the 24th of May this year there

were 1,300 illegal immigrants into Falestine, and during the half-

year 9,050 immigrants have been permitted to enter the country

legally, raising the total number, of legal and illegal immigrants,

to 10,350. This is a larger number than has been allowed during a

six-monthly period at any time since the outbreak of the serious

troubles in 1936.

These figures do not tell the whole story. Illegal immigration

is carried out on a large scale and under carefully organised and

regularised conditions. Apart from the numbers above mentioned,

since the 24th of lay British patrol vessels at sea and the patrol

orce on land have captured 5,507 illegal immigrants. In addition,

between 500 and 1,000 have got into Palestine undetected, and it

is known that some 4,000 intending illegal immigrants are now on

the sea, approaching the coast of Palestine and intending to make

their way into the country.

The desperate plight in which so many Jews now find themselves

must rouse the sympathies of every humane individual. Many of

those who are trying to enter Palestine illegally are victims of

persecution in Germany. But obviously such a small state as

Palestine cannot absorb the large numbers of Jews who wish to go

there. A planned system of immigration is necessary, and the

British Government cannot allow Jews to flood the country in-

discriminately. To do so would not only be unjust to the Arabs,

but a very poor service to the Jews themselves.