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Are Refitgees human beings... ? dren and students in Czechoslovakia.
In the afterinath of World War I, Sir Bulgaria, wliich took thousands of
Eric Dtaummond, the first Secretary- adult refugees, took 5,000 children
General of the League of Nations, and put them in Russian schools.
appointed Fridtjof Nansen to super- Bulgaria also took 1,000 disabled
vise the repatriation of prisoners of men with families. A large number
war. In eighteen months Nansen re- of Jews were settled in Palestine and
patiated 427,866 prisoners of nearly the United States. Yugoslavia took
30 different nationalities. Tl'iere was 55,000 re'fugees from Egypt and Cy-
another emerging problem. The dra- pnis. 5,000 were settled in Yugosla-
matic political upheavals in 1917- Via.
1920 in Russia, had produced enor-
mous numbers of refugees. Nansen proposed tliat all the govei'n-
ments in the League of Nations take
Constantinople liad been occupied by Russian students and maintain them is overwhelmed, and the European
theAllies, and had become an asylum at universities. Czechoslovakia and states seem ineit. Nobody wants to
for refugees. Three waves of refugees France responded first and set a good accept more refugees, and we see
waslied over the city, one after the example. Nansen was always care- right wing politics and xenophobia
otlier, first Russians, then Turks and ful to see to it that the children and on the rise.
'finally Greeks and Aii'nenians. young people sliould have access to
instruction and education. It was his What can be done? The European
According the figures at the time conviction that the futine depended population is ageing. We need peo-
there were about 170,000 Russians, on the ability and industry of the ple wlio can take care of us, at some
75,000 Turks and 155,000 Greeks growing generation. point or anotlier. Why 100k for others
and Armenians in Constantinople. wl'ien tliese are at our doorstep?
This gives us an idea of the magni- When the economic depression came
tude of the problem. beginning in 1929 and reaching its Dynamic and young people can do a
nadir in 1932, the nations surrorinded lot as long as one gives tliem a chance
Nansen realised that the refugees themselves with strong defences by to prove wliat tliey can do. One
needed travel papers, and the first restricting imports of foreign goods shorild bear in mind that, if Nansen
Nansen passports were issued fol- and imposing im+nigration bai'riers. had not given people a chance, per-
lowing an international agreement Refugees lived in pei'manent insecu- haps yorir grandmother, grandfatl'ier
reached at the Intergovernmental rity lioruided from counti'y to coun- or a member of tlie family might not
Conference on Identity Certificates tiy because they did not benefit from have liad the life they had. So let ris
for Russian Refiigees, convened diplomatic or consular protection. all stretch out a hand and tliink rather
by Nansen in Geneva from July 3 to The Nansen passport, was the begin- liow each one of us can, tlmorigh our
5, 1922. ning of humanitarian legislation. means, orir generosity, help tlie otli-
ers. Nansen was there for the otliers.
However, this was not the sole task Does the situation seem familiar? Are we?
that Nansen managed. He also suc- There are many parallels to be drawn,
ceeded in placing thousands of chil- and many things to be said. {JNHCR MARIT