Memorandum for Government by the Department of Justice
'Question of admission of Jewish refugees'

1. The Minister for Justice would be glad to have the view of Government on an application made by a Jewish organisation through Mr. R. Briscoe, TD, for the admission of a number of Jewish refugee families comprising about 40 persons of Hungarian or Czech origin, who recently arrived in Austria.
2. On 12th February the Minister gave an interview to Mr. Briscoe who introduced a member of the Jewish community in Dublin and two members of a continental Jewish relief organisation. While adopting a sympathetic attitude the Minister asked that the deputation’s request for admission of Jewish refugees be made in writing and he informed Mr. Briscoe that in a matter of this kind he felt unable to give a decision until the Government had considered the matter. The following is an extract from Mr. Briscoe’s letter subsequently received:-

   ‘…as verbally explained, there is a small hurriedly constructed temporary camp to house 100 orthodox Jewish families who had escaped from behind the Iron Curtain into Austria. They are mostly of Hungarian or Czechoslovakian origin. Their position is very dangerous and the Joint Distribution Committee, which maintains these people are fearful of the consequences which would follow if by any chance or act they should again come under the power of the Communist Authorities. The Joint Distribution Committee have therefore appealed for temporary accommodation in other countries and the purpose of this letter is to ask if the Government would agree to permit approximately 10 families to enter Ireland as refugees for a maximum period of two years. Their maintenance would be carried out by the Joint Distribution Committee and housing would be found for them as in the case of the 100 children who were allowed in, all of whom have since left the country and have found permanent rehabilitation. As the matter is of extreme urgency, I would be obliged for a decision at the earliest moment. Ten families might amount, approximately, to 40 persons – 20 adults and 20 infants.’

3. Following is a brief outline of the alien position in Ireland:-

   General post-war Policy

   The post-war policy in regard to the admission of aliens, which received fresh Ministerial sanction in March 1948 after the change of Government, was as follows:-

   1. To admit freely aliens of good character from countries to which they might be repatriated without difficulty if coming,
   2. On holiday or for short business visits or
   3. For permanent residence provided that they were in a position to maintain themselves and would not enter into employment or permanent business without advance permission; (These countries might be classified as those with which we have visa abolition agreements, i.e. Belgium, Denmark, France and Saar, Iceland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Norway, Sweden, The Netherlands, USA).
   4. To admit aliens of good character of more remote countries (Germany, Austria, Greece, etc.,) for the purposes and subject to the conditions specified above if, after examination, it was decided that the purpose of the journey was not contrary to any Irish interest.
   5. To admit refugees, stateless aliens and displaced persons and East European nationals only if coming for permanent residence

[at this point in the original document one page (page 2) is missing]

6. Aliens in Ireland in February 1953
   1. There are approximately 2,700 aliens registered as permanently resident here but this number does not include British subjects who are exempt from the application of the aliens laws, alien children under 16 years of age, aliens who are wives or widows of Irish citizens, and aliens in the country for less than a 3 month period, all of whom are not subject to registration. The corresponding figure in 1948 was 1,465.
   2. Of the 2,700 registered aliens approximately 620 are refugees and stateless persons and of this 620 about 170 are students at the universities who have guarantee of re-admission elsewhere on completion of their studies.
   3. In addition to the 2,700 registered aliens there are about 800 persons here (exclusive of about 300 of British origin) who have become Irish citizens by naturalisation and of these 800 naturalised Irish citizens over 300 were formerly refugees or stateless persons.
   4. There is no record of the number of aliens, displaced persons or naturalised Irish citizens who are of Jewish blood as official records are not kept on the basis of race or religion but observation from time to time seems to indicate that quite a number are Jews.
   5. In addition to the aliens who were admitted for permanent residence close on 1,000 refugee children – including 500 Germans, over 200 Poles and over 200 Austrians – were admitted for temporary care in selected centres or in the homes of suitable persons and this number included a group of 100 Jewish children. Almost all the 1,000 alien children have since left but a small number have been informally adopted.

7. Position of Jews

   In the administration of the alien laws it has always been recognised in the Departments of Justice, Industry and Commerce and External Affairs that the question of the admission of aliens of Jewish blood presents a special problem and the alien laws have been administered less liberally in their case. Although the Jewish community in Ireland is only 3,907 persons, according to the 1946 census, there is a fairly strong anti-Semitic feeling throughout the country based, perhaps, on historical reasons, the fact that the Jews have remained a separate community within the community and have not permitted themselves to be assimilated, and that for their numbers they appear to have disproportionate wealth and influence.

8. Some relevant considerations

   The following matters are mentioned for the information of Government in its consideration of the application:-

   1. For its small size, limited resources and problems of unemployment and emigration Ireland’s contribution towards a betterment of the European refugee situation has not been inconsiderable: since the end of the war about 1,000 refugees have found here a permanent home.
   2. In the matter of the admission of aliens it has never been the practice to act on racial or religious grounds. An application made in 1939 that part of the overall quota of refugees approved for admission by Government be allotted to persons of Jewish race and religion was refused. Subsequently, similar approaches were also refused.
   3. No reasons have been put forward why this Jewish group should take precedence over the thousands – even millions – of European refugees and stateless persons seeking admission to Western countries other than that a Jewish international society will guarantee their maintenance. The Department of Justice have already refused literally hundreds of applications on behalf of refugees of good character of Catholic and Christian religions whose plight was no less pitiable than that of the group in question now. Some of the Catholic and Christian refugees were sponsored by persons of high standing such as church dignitaries and university professors but they were penniless or non-employable or their employment would have been in conflict with local and trade union interests. Is the fact that international Jewry is prepared to put up the money to guarantee the State against loss to be regarded as a good and sufficient reason for allowing these people to ‘jump the queue’? If priority is to be given for practical reasons to aliens who ‘have the money’ or can get it is it not relevant to enquire whether there are any of the aliens who want to come here who are in that happy position except the Jews?
   4. There is no evidence that these Jewish refugees have clean records: health, security, non-criminal.
   5. There is no evidence that they have travel documents which would ensure eventual admission to another country. If they take up residence here we would be obliged under our international commitments to give them travel documents valid for return to Ireland if they are not acceptable abroad.
   6. Sympathy for Jewish refugees has not been particularly excited at the recent news that some thousands are fleeing westwards because of the recent round-up of a number of communist Jews who had been prominent in Governments and Government-service in East European countries.
   7. The guarantees given in Mr. Briscoe’s letter may have been given in good faith – they are guarantees given to him not by him – but it has been the experience of the Department of Justice over many years that the Jews are prepared to put forward any plea that would enable an alien co-religionist to get over an immediate difficulty.
   8. If further refugees are to be admitted on grounds of humanity the selection of the most deserving cases might perhaps be made by the High Commissioner for Refugees working in conjunction with the Irish Red Cross Society.

2. Distress in mid-Europe

   As far as can be ascertained from documents published by the Council of Europe and refugee organisations, there are estimated to be over 9,000,000 refugees, stateless aliens and displaced persons in Western Europe. The numbers are being added to daily by a stream of ‘refugees’ from beyond the Iron Curtain, but, according to press reports, a great many of these may not be fleeing from fear of persecution on political, religious or racial grounds, but because economic conditions appear to be better in the West. The overcrowding in West-Germany is now such that it is almost certain that appeals to other countries for relief will be made by the German Government and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.