147. Despatch From the Embassy in Yugoslavia to the Department of State0
REF
- Rome’s tel. to Dept. 297 rptd info Belgrade 61
SUBJECT
- Escapee Flow from Yugoslavia
Conversations here with officers of the Austrian, Greek and Italian Embassies confirm drops in the flow of Yugoslav escapees to their countries.
The consensus of opinion at those embassies is that improving Yugoslav economic conditions, including the coverage of broader sections of the population by social insurance measures, have led to a decline in the number of escapees. In addition, both the Italian and Austrian Embassies report that escapees are being returned to Yugoslavia in sizeable numbers as economic rather than political refugees. While the Greek Embassy states that the flow of escapees from Yugoslavia to Greece has never been large, it concurs with the Italian and Austrian Embassies here that “the cream” of potential Yugoslav escapees has probably already been skimmed and that, therefore, fewer persons recently have been trying the escape routes.
In view of reports that many Yugoslavs have had difficulties this year in obtaining passports, and since some escapees in the past have reportedly crossed borders legally and then claimed asylum on political grounds, the Austrian Embassy was asked whether it had noticed any decline this year in Yugoslav visa applicants. In this connection, the Austrian Embassy said that from January 1 to July 28, 1958, it had issued 2,499 visitor’s visas and 11,798 transit visas. During the same period in 1959 the Austrian Embassy issued 2,747 visitor’s visas and 10,435 transit visas. Hence, the Austrian Embassy did not think that the decline in escapees was in any way attributable to a more stringent policy of passport issuance. That Embassy also reported that a steady flow of Volksdeutche in Yugoslavia were being granted documentation enabling them to emigrate to West Germany and other countries.
Regarding a tightening of border controls, neither the Italian Embassy nor the Austrian Embassy knew of specific measures recently [Page 387] inaugurated in this direction. However, the Austrian Embassy understood that persons who had accepted money and had served as guides in aiding escapees had been subject recently to severe penalties. The Italian Embassy understood, however, that the new Yugoslav penal code, which is as yet unpublished, probably will weigh less heavily on illegal border crossers than its predecessor and that, therefore, a future increase in escape efforts was conceivable.
During the course of the discussion, the Italian Embassy noted three rather dramatic, recent, successful escapes to Italy—the hijacked Yugoslav Airlines aircraft with one escapee aboard (see Embassy Despatch No. 26, July 17, 1959);2 a Yugoslav twin engine military Beech-craft-type aircraft with only one aviator aboard; and a group of Yugoslav escapees picked up in the Adriatic from a small boat and deposited in Italy by a Greek steamer.
While the urge to leave Yugoslavia undoubtedly continues great in the hearts of many, improving economic conditions may well have caused numerous would-be escapees to think twice before making an effort which could result in apprehension by Yugoslav authorities or a return to Yugoslavia by foreign authorities as economic rather than political refugees. In this connection, the uncertain future facing many escapees even after receiving asylum abroad has undoubtedly proved another discouraging factor.
For the Ambassador:
First Secretary of Embassy
- Source: Department of State, Central Files, 868.00/7–3059. Confidential. Drafted by Wilson. Repeated to Rome, Athens, Vienna, Trieste, Zagreb, and Sarajevo.↩
- Telegram 297, July 22, reported a drop in the number of Yugoslav refugees entering Italy. (Ibid., 768.00/7–2259)↩
- Not printed. (Ibid., 768.00/7–1759)↩