Table Of ContentTHE REFUGEE CONNECTION
A Lifetime of Running a Lifeline
The Refugee Connection
A Lifetime of Running a Lifeline
James L. Carlin
Preface by Congressman Peter W. Rodino, Jr.
M
MACMILLAN
©James L. Carlin 1989
Preface © Peter W. Rodino, Jr. 1989
Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 1989 978-0-333-49965-8
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First published 1989
Published by
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British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
Carlin, James L.
The refugee connection: a lifetime of running a
lifeline.
1. Welfare services for refugees. Biographies
I. Title
362.8'7
ISBN 978-1-349-11060-5 ISBN 978-1-349-11058-2 (eBook)
DOI 10.1007/978-1-349-11058-2
'He who saves a single human life is as though he
rescued the entire world.'
The Talmud
Contents
List of Photographs x
List of Tables x1
Preface xii
Acknowledgements xiv
Introduction 1
1 The End of the Second World War in Europe 3
Last Days as a Soldier 3
Post-Hostilities Activities under SHAEF in Germany,
Including First Encounters with People in Trouble 5
2 Fresh Fields and Pastures New 9
The Start of a New Life with the United Nations Relief
and Rehabilitation Administration (UNRRA) in Austria 9
Intergovernmental Committee for Refugees (IGCR) 14
Some Practical Effects of Growing Co-operation between
UNRRA, IGCR and the Voluntary Agencies 15
The Termination of UNRRA 17
3 Creation and Achievements of the International Refugee
Organization (IRO) 19
Special Efforts of the United States on Behalf of Displaced
Persons, Including the Creation of the US Displaced Persons
Commission 21
Practical Co-operation between IRO and the US Displaced
Persons Commission 24
Some Special Problems 26
The Termination of IRQ 30
4 'What Next?': The Intergovernmental Committee for European
Migration (ICEM)-a Worthy Successor to IRO 31
New Problems, in Particular Surplus Population and Escapees
from Communism 31
The 'Iron Curtain' 32
Renewed Efforts on Behalf of Refugees, Displaced Persons
and Migrants by the United States 33
The Brussels International Conference on Migration and the
Creation of ICEM 34
Vll
viii Contents
Start of My Work in the Field for ICEM, Including the
Development of Co-operation with the United States
Escapee Program (USEP) 36
5 Operations in Austria 41
My Transfer to Salzburg, Austria, in Charge of Operations 41
The Hungarian Crisis, involving my transfer to Vienna 43
Back to Salzburg 62
Promotion and Return to Vienna 72
6 Assignment to the Foreign Service of the United States 77
First Steps in Geneva, Including the Streamlining of USEP 77
Further Legislative Action by the United States 79
Day-to-Day Involvement with UNHCR and ICEM in Respect
of New Refugee and Migrant Problems Emerging Across
the World 81
7 Transfer to Washington DC to Become Deputy Assistant
Secretary of State in Charge of Refugee and Migration Affairs 94
New Responsibilities 94
Action Leading to the Adoption of the Refugee Act of 1980 95
Strengthening Policy and Procedures for Dealing with Asylum
Seekers 103
Briefing US Delegations Attending Meetings of ICEM
andUNHCR 107
8 Election as Director of the Intergovernmental Committee for
European Migration 111
Balancing the Budget and Making ICEM Better Known and
Appreciated 113
Special Session of the ICEM Council in 1979 and Follow-up
Action 115
9 ICM in the 1980s 119
Diversification and Adaptation 119
1980 119
1981 123
1982 126
1983 131
1984 and Beyond 143
10 ICM-an Instrument for Peace 157
A Thought for the Future 161
Contents IX
Epilogue 163
Appendix 164
Questions and Answers at the US House of Representatives
Hearing on 'policy and procedures for the admission of
Refugees into the United States' (Wednesday, 24 February
1977) 164
Index 198
List of Photographs
1. Construction site of the refugee reception/processing center
in Salzburg, Austria, Spring 1956 43
2. Hungarian refugees awaiting registration for resettlement
at the ICEM mission in Vienna, November 1956 47
3. Vice-President Richard Nixon observing the departure from
Austria of the first plane-load of Hungarian refugees to the
United States, December 1956 52
:·) Ceremony for the opening of the refugee reception/processing
6: center in Salzburg, 22 July 1957 63
7. Briefing the Council of Europe's Committee on Population
and Refugees on ICEM's refugee/migrant catalogue project,
1957 67
8. Participants in the ICEM seminar in Salzburg in 1957 to
promote refugee resettlement 67
9. } Mrs Eleanor Roosevelt visiting refugee camps in Salzburg
10. in May 1957 69
11. The Hirtenberg Vocational Training School building in
n
~~
12. } Refugees receiving vocational training at the Hirtenberg
13. School 73
X
List of Tables
5.1 Breakdown by receiving country of movements of Hungarian
refugees from Austria 61
6.1 Movements effected between 6 October 1973 and 30 June
1978 by the Intergovernmental Committee for European
Migration under the Special Program for Resettlement from
Chile 90
A.1 Approximate numbers of refugees accepted by the United
States, 1945-1976, under various immigration programs 186
A.2 U.S. contributions to refugee assistance 1945-75 187
A.3 U.S. assistance to refugees for fiscal year 1976 190
A.4 Numbers of refugees from Eastern Europe assisted
by the U.S. government, 1972-77 192
A.5 Refugees moved under the auspices of the Intergovernmental
Committee for European Migration in 1975-76 193
A.6 Transfers from Foreign Assistance Appropriations to
Migration and Refugee Assistance Appropriations by
Presidential Determination, FY1963-FY1976 196
A.7 Draw-downs by Presidential Determinations from the
Emergency Refugee and Migration Assistance Fund,
1 July 1976-31 January 1977 197
xi
