1988. február (17-31. szám) / HU_BFL_XIV_47_2
mí&ííS^k m! 2.4/D Líttle Ruisell Street, LONDON, W.C.L -Tel.P^-^aO aí ze • G. ftrossó 19/1988 (E) 3rd February, 1988 Announcement by Budapest Refugee Committee The "Refugee Committee" uas formed in Hungary to help Transylvanian refugees and to inform the generál public. The Committee*s first report was read out by the phil- osopher Gáspár Miklós Tamás in the Hungárián Democratic Fórum*s conference on Jan- uary 30th, in the Jurta Theatre. Those present - more than five hundred - discussed the declaration and voted unanimously to express their agreement with its contents. The announcement is as follovs: The Refugee Committee*s Announcement The undersigned formed a committee to expose the situation of refugees from Tran- sylvania, Románia, to inform and mobilise the public and to work out relief methods, in cooperation with other groups already in existence. Any sympathisers who vould like to take part in the work can jóin our committee. This is our first announcement. Due to the unbearable conditions generally acknowledged in Románia - poverty, forced labour, terror, the violent destruction of the regular structure of civilized life and the suppression of national and religous minorities - more and more Románián citizens choose different ways of escaping abroad. Most of them are Hungárián and their destination is Hungary. Bút even fór those going to the West our country is the most important intermediate stop. Apart from the legitimate emigrants and reset- lers there are several thousand ."illegal" refugees hiding in Hungary, most of them are Transylvanian Hungarians bút there are increasing numbers of Romanians too; many of them hold no valid paBsport either. Until the Hungárián Socialist Workers Party foreign affairs secretary Mátyás Szűrös made his recent declaration it appeared that the govemment had no refugee policy. Nőt long ago, in January, a scandalous event occurred: they wished to deport Transylvanian refugees to Románia, in other words to concentration camps. This will reputedly never be repeated. It would be a good thing if Szűrös*s re- assuring words were followed by definate and positive actions by the state. The refugee problem needs urgent attention. Because if it is nőt dealt with intell- igently it could pose a reál danger to public order which is so necessary fór develop- ment and reforms in Hungary. Let us nőt dwell on the solution to the problem as it is only feasible within the framework of a liberal, accordant and democratic conclusion and naturally only after the Ceaugescu régimé has ended. Emigration, of course, cannot be a way out fór two millión national minority Hungarians and over twenty millión Romanians. Our committee only seeks to draw attention to the most urgent tasks. 1. We call upon those responsible in the Hungárián govemment to legálisé the pos- 0 ition of Transylvanian and Románián refugees who are here without valid papéra by a sinele amnesty until further steps are taken, At the verv least to iasue a temp- orary residence permit. The next task is to publicly establish an emigration h
