Foreign Relations of the United States, 1955–1957, Eastern Europe, Volume XXV

262. Memorandum From the Acting Secretary of State to the President¹

Washington, August 13, 1957.

SUBJECT

• Recommendation for Acceptance by the United States of an Increased Number of Hungarian Refugees from Yugoslavia²

The United States has contributed substantially to alleviate the situation of the Hungarian refugees who fled to Austria through the provision of financial and material aid and through the admission of over 34,000 of the refugees to this country. However, our program for the Hungarian refugees who have sought asylum in Yugoslavia has been operated on a very restricted basis and permits the parole into this country of only about 300 of the refugees who are relatives in the first degree of citizens and aliens already here.

It has become increasingly apparent that it would be in the political interest of the United States to admit a considerably increased number of the Hungarian refugees remaining in Yugoslavia. The approximately 9,000 refugees still in Yugoslavia are a particularly worthy group and include a goodly proportion of active fighters against Communism and of highly skilled, technical, and professional workers. It is important that they should not remain longer as political and economic burdens for Yugoslavia but rather should be given an opportunity to become productive workers in the free world. By increasing the number we admit into the United States, we would encourage other Western countries also to accept greater numbers. Moreover, we would thus reduce at a crucial time a cause of friction and misunderstanding between Yugoslavia and the United States and illustrate again to the people of Hungary that the United States maintains its interest in their plight.

It is therefore recommended that you authorize the Attorney General to broaden the criteria being employed in the parole of refugees from Yugoslavia to enable the United States to absorb up to 2,500 of them over the period of the next 3 months.³

Christian A. Herter⁴

1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 764.00/8–1357. Drafted by C.J. Sobotka (ORM) and cleared in draft in EE.

2. In telegram 1781 from Belgrade, June 24, the Embassy argued that the United States hurt its own prestige and international standing by refusing to accept Hungarian refugees in Yugoslavia on the same basis as those in Austria and other Western European nations. (Ibid., 764.00/6–2457)

   Following a visit to Yugoslavia, the Commissioner of Immigration and Naturalization and the Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Immigration suggested in a report to the President acceptance of 2,500 Hungarian refugees in Yugoslavia. The Department of State concurred in the suggestion. (Memorandum from Henderson and Cartwright attached to the memorandum to the President)

3. There is no indication on the source text whether or not Eisenhower approved this specific recommendation. However Congress passed P.L. 85–316 (71 Stat. 639), September 11, which amended the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1953 and made provisions for granting visas to all remaining refugee-escapees.
4. Printed from a copy that bears this stamped signature.