99. Telegram From the Embassy in Romania to the Department of State1
SUBJECT
- Romanian Education Repayment Decree.
REF
- Bucharest 8150 (Notal).2
- 1.
- On Nov 6 Romanian newspapers carried the text of the Council of State decree (see reftel) concerning the requirement that intending emigrants repay the government for their education and for other services. The text of that decree follows:
Begin text.
Council of State of the Socialist Republic of Romania
Decree
Regard the obligations of persons who request to be permitted to take up residence permanently abroad of paying in entirety the debts which [Page 282] they owe the state, socialist organizations, and physical persons, as well as of repaying some expenditures made by the state for their schooling.
In the general political context of the Party and the state of continuously raising the standard of living of the entire population, important funds are allocated to assure the citizens of the fatherland a free education at all grades, free medical care, and a large system of social security and assistance.
For the compensation of these expenditures, in conformity with ethical and equitable socialist principles, it is necessary that persons who leave the country permanently indemnify society for the material efforts devoted to their schooling and specialization, as well as for the other services from which they benefit until abandoning the territory of the state.
In this scope, the Council of State of the Socialist Republic of Romania decrees:
Art. 1: Persons who request to be permitted to take up residence permanently abroad are obliged to pay fully the debts which they owe the socialist units, and other organizations.
Similarly, they have the obligation to pay in entirety allowances for support (alimony) and every other debt to physical persons.
Art. 2: Persons who desire to be permitted to reside permanently abroad are obliged to repay the Romanian state in hard currency (valuta) the expenditures made for schooling, specialization, and training, including scholarships, with regard to high school (liceal), university (superior), post graduate school, and doctoral education.
The amounts owed are established through the application of the rates provided by law for foreigners who study at their own expense in the Socialist Republic of Romania.
The provision of the present article is not applied to persons who at the date of the approval of their request to emigrate from the country fulfill the conditions of age provided by law in regard to the granting of a pension for work contributed and limited by age.
Art. 3: The payment of debts owed to the state, socialist units, and other organizations and of payments for maintenance (alimony) and of the other debts owed to physical persons, as well as the repayment of expenditures for schooling, specialization, and training are made after the approval of the request to emigrate and before the release of the passport.
Art. 4: From the date of the approval of emigration until the date of effective departure from the country, persons provided for in article 1 will support, in hard currency, expenses for medical care charges and fees for tourist services as well as whatever other charges and fees owed according to the law by foreigners who do not have domicile in the Socialist Republic of Romania.
Art. 5: Buildings and land belonging to persons who emigrate from the country become, according to the law, the property of the state.
[Page 283]Art. 6: Property of the national cultural patrimony belonging to persons who are approved to emigrate are surrendered obligatorily to the state at the price established by the State Central Commission for the National Cultural Patrimony.
Art. 7: In the case of persons who have departed in a fraudulent manner from the country or who, being already abroad, did not return at the expiration of the term established for their return to the country, the restitution of the expenditures for schooling, specialization and improvement is assured through the pursuit under legal conditions, of the goods and other rights which they have in the country or abroad until the full satisfaction of the debt.
Art. 8: The repayment of the expenditures, including scholarships, as well as the payment of charges and fees provided in Articles 2 and 4 are to be made in freely exchangeable foreign currency, through bank transfers or directly, in effective hard currency and checks.
Nicolae Ceauesscu
President of the Socialist Republic of Romania
- Source: Reagan Library, Executive Secretariat, NSC Head of State File, Romania: President Ceausescu (8106944) (1). Limited Official Use; Niact Immediate. Sent for information to Belgrade, Berlin, Budapest, Madrid for CSCE Delegation, Munich, Moscow, Prague, Sofia, and Warsaw, and to USCINCEUR Vaihingen, USDOCO South Naples, CINCUSAFE Ramstein, and CINCUSAREUR Heidelberg for POLADs.↩
- Telegram 8150 from Bucharest, October 25, reported on the Romanian education repayment program for emigrants, although the Embassy did not yet have the text of the decree. (Department of State, Central Foreign Policy File, D820552–0138)↩