Evening star., 1953-08-28
u. 5. Officials Seek
To Guard Against
Old Refugee Errors

Government officials said to-
day they are striving to work out |
foolproof ways to guard against |
bringing "misf1ts" into the United |
States under the new refugee |
relief act.
The act. passed in the closing |
days of the last session of Con-
gress under Eisenhower admin
istration pressure lifts immigra-
ton quota bars to permit |
100000 refugees and escapes
from communism and natural
calamities to come here as per-
manent residents during the next |
three years.
One of the major aims Of off,
eials now setting up machinery
to administer the program is to
make sure that each of the new
immigrants is properly qualified
for the job that has to be guar
anteed him by an American citi- |
zen before he is issued an entry |
visa. !
Must Be Guaranteed.
These officials said they want
TO avoid some unhappy incidents !
that developed under the former |
displaced persons program. Some |
DPS who always had been city |
dwellers were brought here for
farm jobs. Such incidents tended |
to discredit the entire program. |
Congress wrote into the new |
refugee relief act a provision |
stipulatlng that no visa may be
issued an alien under the act |
unless an American citizen guar
anteeS that he will be suitably |
employed" here and that he and |
his family will have place to
live without displacing some
other person from employment |
or housing.
Officials said this provision will |
be simple to carry out in cases
where an American citizen spon-
sors as a refugee immigrant some
old acquaintance with whose job
qualifications he is familiar.
Some Trouble Expected.
But they expect more trouble
In the majority of cases. A Mary
land dairy farmer, for example,
might agree to guarantee q Job
and housing to a refugee expert
enced in working with Holstein
or Guernsey cattle, but name no
specific individual, leaving it up
to the Government to fill the bill.
To keep from saddling such
sponsors with misf1t employees,
officials said teams of Labor De-
partment experts probably will
be sent abroad to interview ap-
plicants for visas under the pro-
gram and catalogue them ac-
cording to their occupations. If
an applicant registers as a car
penter, for instance, the matter
won't stop there, the official said.
By expert questioning it is hoped
the Labor Department teams
will be able to determine whether
he is "jackleg carpenter" or
qualified as cabinetmaker, and
so catalogue him accurately.
It is from such an occupational |
catalogue that immigrants will
be selected to fit the require
ments of American sponsors,
under present plans.
Screened for Security.
In addition, the immigrants
will be screened by security in
vestigators and immigration |
service inspectors as we'll as
American consuls abroad before
being granted visas.
The immigrants must meet all |
tests of the regular immigration |
laws, which bar Communists. |
The State Department will ad-
minister the program and CO.
ordinate the work of other Gov
eminent agencies involved.
American consular officers |
abroad already have been in
structed to register applicants |
for visas under the refugee pro-
gram.
Plans Being Rushed.
In a formal statement last |
night, the State Department said
1t is proceeding at top speed"
to put the program into effect |
in Greece to help solve a prob
lem of thousands made homeless |
by the recent Greek earthquakes.
AS disclosed in The Star yes
terday, the new law provides
that non quota immigration
visas may be issued to up to
$4,000 Greek refugees.
The State Department said it
hoped this will make a sub
stantial contribution" to solv-
ing the plight of the earthquake
victims.
AS one step to speed up the
program the department said it |
is considering transferring some |
consular officers from other |
areas into Greece and other |
countries covered by the Refugee |
Relief Act for the purpose of |
issuing visas to refugees.