Gracias to Granados

Following the mention a a previous Center Bulletin of Garcia Granados, we wihs to highlight his activity by reprinting a small portion of his questioning of the then Mandat officials regarding immigration:-

Mr. GARCIA GRANADOS (Guatemala): What does the Palestine Government understand by illegal immigration? Are they those who enter contrary to the provisions of the White Paper of the United Kingdom Government, or those who enter in contravention of the Mandate given to the United Kingdom Government by the League of Nations which we understand binds the United Kingdom Government?

Sir Henry GURNEY [Secretary of Mandate Government] : We, like every other country, control immigration.

Mr. GARCIA GRANADOS (Guatemala): The United Kingdom Government has a Mandate from the League of Nations. Are illegal immigrants those who enter in contravention of the Mandate?

Sir Henry GURNEY : The Mandate is not a law. The Mandate is a document.

Mr. GARCIA GRANADOS (Guatemala): There was a Covenant. Is it illegal to violate the Covenant?

The CHAIRMAN : What do you understand by an illegal immigrant?

Sir Henry GURNEY : They are people who attempt to enter Palestine contrary to the laws of Palestine, and the laws of Palestine are made under the Order in Council which set up the Government to administer Palestine in execution of the Mandate.

Mr.GARCIA GRANADOS (Guatemala): I understood that the Mandate, instead of forbidding immigration, tried to encourage it.

The CHAIRMAN : You have got the answer. It is immigration which takes place against the laws of Palestine.

1 Mr. BLOM (Netherlands): In the immigration figures for 1946, there are 2,800 neither Jews nor Arabs but classified as "others" on Page 17 of the Supplement.

Sir Henry GURNEY : Those are Armenians, Greeks, Egyptians, British, French, Americans.

Mr. LISICKY (Czechoslovakia): Temporarily?

Sir Henry GURNEY : Yes.

Mr. BLOM (Netherlands): What is the policy in giving certificates for immigration? I mean, have the Jews any priority over Greeks or any other nations?

Sir Henry GURNEY : The policy is that a monthly quota is fixed by the Government under the immigration laws, and the monthly quota at the moment is 1700, of which 1500 certificates go to Jews and 200 to others, including Arabs, Americans, British, etc. There are 200 permanent immigration certificates open to everybody.

The CHAIRMAN : We read that there were 1,439 in 1945 and 2,800 in 1946 classified as "others". That is above the figure of 200 just mentioned.

Sir Henry GURNEY : I am talking about the , present rate.

Source.