Jewish refugees from Russia coming here as a temporary stopping point to wait for an opportunity to emigrate to the U.S. and other countries are finding their stay here very costly. The Latvian government has raised the fee for a transit vise extension to a sum that is beyond the means of most of the immigrants. Each immigrant who has a passport and whose leaving the country is only a question of time is taxed $100 a month for an extension of the privilege of staying here. These not so fortunate are considered under the status of “interned” except that they must pay the government 205 Latvia roubles for each day of their stay in the country.
On account of the filling up of the Bussian quota to America, the refugees are unable to leave for the U.S. Their numbers are consequently daily growing. With the doors of the U.S. and virtually all other countries closed to them and with the Latvian government fast “eating” up what little means they have left, the distress of the wanderers can be easily imagined.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
