Foreign Relations of the United States, 1981–1988, Volume X, Eastern Europe

180. Electronic Message From the White House Situation Room to Nelson Ledsky of the National Security Council Staff¹

Washington, June 28, 1988, 4:48 p.m.

SUBJECT

• Romanian Refugees in Hungary.

1. Summary: The Hungarian press reported recently that Romanian citizens of ethnic Romanian or German background who do not want to return to Romania will be allowed to leave Hungary provided they have proof of acceptance from another country. This major change in Hungary’s treatment of citizens from other communist countries raises opportunities and problems for would-be refugees which the Embassy requests Department and INS review. End summary.

2. On June 16 the Hungarian press reported on a meeting of the GOH Council of Ministers in which the plight of a reported 5,000 Romanian citizens who have officially notified the GOH they do not wish to return to Romania was discussed. In a subsequent press conference Deputy Minister of Interior Zoltan Gal reported that most of the refugees are ethnic Hungarians, and are being assisted with jobs, etc. However, he noted that 400–500 ethnic Romanians and Germans wish to go on to a third country. In a major new development, Gal said that quote if they receive a statement of acceptance the Hungarian authorities pose no problems to their departure end quote. Embassy subsequently confirmed with MFA that it is now official GOH policy to allow these Romanians to depart, providing they have a visa for a third country.

3. In the past the GOH has refused to allow nationals of other communist countries to depart Hungary without the permission of the nationals’ own embassies. The public announcement of a special policy for Romanians not of Hungarian origin is a major departure apparently caused by the GOH unwillingness to force refugees back to Romania, coupled with a realization that it would be difficult to integrate these people into Hungarian society.

4. Unfortunately for the Romanian citizens, the new policy coincides with a major increase in the number of would-be refugees already present in Austria and an apparent growing resentment against the cost of their maintenance to the Austrian taxpayer. In septel² the Embassy reports on an interview given by Austrian Interior Minister Karl Blecha to the Hungarian newspaper “Magyar Hirlap”, in which he complains about the increasing numbers of refugee applicants awaiting resettlement from the camps in Austria (now approximately 14,000) and notes that approximately 6,000 are Hungarians. The new Hungarian passport law which came into effect on January 1 has, as expected, resulted in many Hungarians travelling to the West seeking to immigrate. Most are not eligible for immigrant visas, and so seek refugee status. Though most probably do not meet the international criteria, their presence in Austria while awaiting decisions in their cases poses a growing problem for Austria.

5. The Romanian citizen refugees, therefore, are caught in a catch-22 situation, since while they are allowed to leave Hungary they are often not allowed to enter Austria to apply for refugee status. In the past two years this Embassy has seen a marked increase in the numbers of Romanians coming in to request advice or assistance in getting to the U.S. or other Western countries. In the past few months we have averaged interviews with twenty or more such Romanians a week. Their stories of privation and persecution in Romania have grown most desperate.

6. The new policy by the GOH in our view presents a major challenge both to Austria and the refugee-accepting countries to develop procedures to deal in a humanitarian manner with the Romanians stranded here. Since neither this Embassy nor other Western Embassies with which we have consulted is in a position to issue visas to the vast majority of them, we have at present no solution to offer to them, although we believe many would qualify for refugee status.

7. We therefore urge the Department and INS to review the situation with a view to working out procedures to enable these Romanians to apply for refugee status.

8. We also note that this problem is becoming more urgent with the reported presence in Hungary of agents of the Romanian secret police. Several times recently Romanians have reported to us they fear they are in physical danger in Hungary because of the infiltration by Romanian agents of the Hungarian organizations set up to help refugees.

Palmer

1. Source: Reagan Library, Rudolf Perina Files, Subject File, Hungary—Substance 1988 (2). Confidential; Priority. The message relayed telegram 6672 from Budapest, June 28, which was also sent for information to Vienna and Bucharest.
2. Not found.