International > Refugees coming from Germany : report submitted to the eighteenth ordinary session of the Assembly of the League of Nations by the High Commissioner, Sir Neill Malcolm

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[Communicated to the Assembly,
the Council and the Members
of the League.]
Official No.: A.1 7-1937.XII.
Geneva, September 1st, 1937.
LEAGUE OF NATIONS
REFUGEES COMING FROM GERMANY
REPORT
submitted to the Eighteenth Ordinary Session of the Assembly
of the League of Nations by the High Commissioner, Sir Neill Malcolm.
During its seventeenth session, the Assembly defined the duties of the High
Commissioner for Eefugees coming from Germany in the following terms :
“ (1) As regards the improvement of the legal status of refugees : to approach
Governments in order to obtain their accession to the Provisional Arrangement of
July 4th, 1936, and to prepare an Inter-Governmental Conference for the adoption
of an international convention on the status of these refugees ;
“ (2) As regards questions of emigration and final settlement : to encourage
initiative on the part of private organisations ; to support such initiative by
negotiations with the Governments of the countries of refuge ; and, if necessary, to
have definite plans for colonisation and emigration studied on the spot, in agreement
with the Government concerned;
“ (3) To maintain contact with the various private organisations, in particular
through the Liaison Committee of an international character which has already been
set up. „
Before outlining the activities of the High Commissioner in these various fields, it
appears desirable to detail certain general considerations relating to the present position in
regard to the problem of refugees coming from Germany.
INTRODUCTIOX.
The position of refugees coming from Germany, as described in the report submitted
by the High Commissioner to the seventeenth ordinary session of the Assembly,1 has not
undergone any marked change during 1937. While there have been no wholesale
expatriations from Germany, the placing and final settlement of refugees having already
left their country of origin has not made great progress. On the one hand, measures
taken by Governments in regard to immigration have brought the number of departures
from Europe for overseas countries down to a very low level. On the other hand, the lack
of the funds required to finance refugee emigration — particularly that of non-Jews
has been one of the chief determining factors in that situation. In consequence, and despite
the hopes which had been entertained, steps taken during the year with a view to a
solution of the problem of refugees coming from Germany have not been numerous. The
fact that a proportion of those who had already left Germany have succeeded up to the
present in providing for themselves without becoming a charge on the foreign community
concerned has been due to the liberal measures taken in this respect by certain countries.
Particular mention should be made in this connection of the action of the French
Government, which, by allowing the refugees to work in France, has enabled them to
provide for their own needs until such time as they can emigrate overseas. The situation
in Palestine has, on the other hand, proved a considerable obstacle to the carrying-out
of programmes of emigration to that country.
1 Document A.19.1936.XII.
XII.B. INTERNATIONAL BUREAUX
1937. XII. B. 2.
Series of League of Nations Publications
3162 — S.d.N. 1460 (F) 1220 (A). 9/37. — Imp. de la T. de G.