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Opening Address by Dr. Auguste R. Lindt, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, at the Thirty-sixth meeting of the United Nations Refugee Fund (UNREF) Executive Committee, Geneva, 3 June 1957
3 Jun 1957 Apologises for late documentation; with recent emergencies, felt that overworked staff should concentrate on operations, not paperwork
Main problems for Committee are Hungarian refugees, UNREF programme, General Assembly review
Astonished by improvement in Austrian camps for Hungarians between December 1956 and March 1957
Of 174,000 who arrived in Austria, 140,000 have now been resettled, 4,000 have gone home, 30,000 remain
Thanks League of Red Cross Societies for its work here (it's going to be awarded the next Nansen Medal)
Notes that with slowing pace of resettlement, morale in camps dipping (e.g. there have been hunger strikes)
Thanks Switzerland and Belgium for generous (earmarked) contributions
Thanks to overseas contributions, Austria will end up paying under $1,000,000 for shouldering the initial Hungarian burden
Yugoslavia took in some 19,000 Hungarians
8,5000 have been resettled, 6,500 likely to remain
Cost to Yugoslavia set to be some $7,000,000. Fair?
UNREF programme short by nearly $3,000,000 this year
Residual camp population likely to be some 30,000 by end-year
Solving this needs a) more funds for UNREF and b) relaxed immigration criteria
Survey to consider those outside camps and needing assistance
Europeans in China: exit permits coming quicker, maybe 3,000 out this year, likely 900 difficult cases will remain
General Assembly to review UNHCR role in supervision of Convention implementation and determination of eligibility -
Speech of Dr. Auguste R. Lindt, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, at the Conference on the Refugee Problem Today and Tomorrow, organized by the Conference of Non-Governmental Organizations Interested in Migration, and the Standing Conference of Voluntary Agencies Working for Refugees, Geneva, 27 May 1957
27 May 1957 Voluntary agencies have always seen the human face of the refugee issue, at the sharp end
Initial world reaction to Hungarian refugee influx, in Austria particularly
Perhaps a degree of fatigue now creeping in?
Austria still has 30,000, Yugoslavia 15,000 Hungarians. Fair?
Meanwhile there are still 50,000 'old' refugees in the camps in Europe
Would like to complete Hungarian programme this year and concentrate next year on 'old' camp refugees
Hopes that recent relaxation of emigration criteria for Hungarians might be extended for others
Sees more emigration for 'old' caseload, plus greater efforts to integration
Because voluntary agencies have direct access to public opinion, they can help in this -
Memorandum prepared by Dr. Auguste R. Lindt, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, for submission to the Committee on Social and Humanitarian Questions of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, Nice, 24 April 1957
24 Apr 1957 28 October 1956: Hungarian influx into Austria and Yugoslavia begins
200,000 eventually were to cross
9 November 1956: General Assembly asks UNHCR to help, authorises appeals for funds
30 November 1956: $10 million appeal launched, governments urged to receive Hungarians
By April 1957, $7 million received, and 128,000 already admitted to various countries
Cost of moving the refugees quickly far less than that of maintainance in situ
To this add the 'camp psychosis' that long-term stay in a camp induces
Breakdown of Hungarian refugees received by European and non-European countries -
Statement by Dr. Auguste R. Lindt, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, at the 4th Session of the United Nations Refugee Fund (UNREF) Executive Committee: Statement of UNHCR policy as regards unattached youth among Hungarian refugees, 31 January 1957
31 Jan 1957 Two principles governing are those of 1. family unity and 2. the best interests of the child
A minor is only of concern to UNHCR if he/she is decided to be a refugee
Branch offices instructed that no unaccompanied children may be moved "without the approval of the competent authorities"
Red Cross following up on tracing -
Speech by Dr. Auguste R. Lindt, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, at the opening of the Fourth Session of the United Nations Refugee Fund (UNREF) Executive Committee, 1957
1 Jan 1957 New HC expresses admiration for work of his predecessor
Hungarian exodus, burdens on countries of first asylum (Austria, Yugoslavia)
Answer to this emergency is emigration
Another emergency arising: refugees from Egypt
Proposes the establishment of an emergency fund
Assurance that emergencies are not hampering the work of the main programme
Which is however a year behind because of a shortfall in contributions
But Sweden has just donated generously, so the programme should get back on track -
Address by Dr. Auguste R. Lindt, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, at the Ambassadors' Dinner of the U.S. World Trade Fair, New York, 6 May 1956
6 May 1956 Receiving refugees is not an act of charity
As the Huguenots changed Europe, many countries will be changed by the refugees they have accepted
Refugee problems can be solved (example of 200,000 Hungarian refugees in Yugoslavia and Austria now almost entirely resettled)
Refugees can be an asset to a country, bringing new ideas and cultural richness
There are still 30,000 refugees in camps in Europe, whose children have been born and bred there
These camps can be cleared by 1960 if UNHCR receives an additional $7m