The Key West Citizen

Original Number Quadrupled
U.S. Refugee Quota Raised To 21,500

BY MARVIN L. ARROWSMITH
AUGUSTA, Ga. (P)—President Eisenhower, moving to aid the victims of Soviet oppression, announced today the United States will admit 21,500 Hungarian refugees—more than four times the number planned originally.

The total to be granted asylum is being hiked from 5,000, the White House said, because of "an emergency problem" thrust upon Austria with scores of thousands of refugees crowding into that nation from Hungary.

And there was a hint there eventually may be still another increase in the total permitted to come to this country. Referring to the current jump to 21,500, a statement issued at Eisenhower's vacation headquarters here said:

When these numbers have been exhausted, the situation will be reexamined.

Because of the emergency nature of the problem, the administration is using a cut-the-red-tape emergency procedure in the expanded program.

Of the 21,500 to be offered asylum, only about 6,500 can be brought into the U.S. under provisions of the Refugee Relief Act, which expires Dec. 31.

The other 15,000 will be admitted as parolees under discretion given to the attorney general, the White House said, in the General Immigration and Nationality Act.

Persons admitted as parolees have no permanent residence status in the U.S. but it was announced that Eisenhower in January will ask Congress to enact emergency legislation to let Hungarian refugees in that category stay in this country.

But James C. Hagerty, presidential press secretary, said that even as parolees they can be permitted to stay indefinitely, so long as the attorney general rules it in the public interest. Hagerty added, however, that the administration wants to give them permanent residence through legislation. Details will be worked out later.

The White House statement said Eisenhower feels the expanded U.S. program will "give practical effect to the American people's intense desire to help the victims of Soviet oppression." The statement added:

It will also materially assist the government of Austria, which has responded so generously to the refugees' needs, to carry out its policy of political asylum.

In addition to announcing plans to seek new legislation to give all of the refugees permanent residence status, the White House said:

1. Eisenhower intends to ask Congress to include provisions to give some Hungarians who have found asylum in other countries the opportunity to apply for permanent resettlement in the U.S. That step will be taken because "many of those refugees undoubtedly have relatives here."

2. The President has directed Secretary of Defense Wilson to work out arrangements for transportation of the larger quota of refugees to this country from Austria. They will be brought here "with the utmost practicable speed," the White House said.

The original plan to admit 5,000 refugees was announced early last month shortly after thousands of Hungarians started fleeing into Austria to escape Soviet terrorism.