In what is believed to be the first step to rid Germany of all Jewish Soviet citizens, the Reich Government has ordered at least sixty Jews holding Soviet passports expelled in the last few weeks.
The Soviet Government has not yet granted any of the sixty permission to re-enter the U.S.S.R., while Jewish circles fear that the Soviet intends to bar her gates permanently against these expatriates.
It is estimated that at least a thousand Jewish Soviet citizens are residing in Germany, many of them for more than fifteen years. Official circles confirm the expulsion orders issued for an undetermined number of Soviet citizens, but neither confirm nor deny that the orders are applicable to Jews only.
Many expulsion orders carry time limits of ten days to six weeks. Unverified reports state that the failure of the Soviet Government to grant re-entry permits already has resulted in the expiration of some of the time limits and the arrest of several Jews.
Fears that the Soviet will not accept for admission its expelled nations are based on the fact that many have resided abroad so long that they are not considered “real Bolsheviks” and therefore are not desirable residents.
Meanwhile, the European general consulate of Ecuador has been ordered by its Government to cease granting visas for Jews of non-agricultural occupations. The Liverpool, England, consulate has been refusing visas for non-agricultural Jews since Feb. 12, and a similar policy is in effect at the consulate here.
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