§ The Soviet performance in the field of human contacts continues to deteriorate. Jewish, ethnic German and Armenian emigration continues to decline. The final figure for Jewish emigration in 1983 is likely to be less than half of the 1982 figure, which was 2,700. An anti-Zionist committee with local branches was created among other things to discourage would-be emigrants who have reported increasing administrative difficulties and harrassment including dismissal from work, difficulties for children at school and over university admission and premature call-up for military service.
§ In spite of a new commitment in the Madrid concluding document assuring the access by visitors to diplomatic missions, the Soviet authorities on more than one occasion prevented the Soviet Unofficial Peace Movement from reaching the British Embassy in Moscow to receive a reply from the Prime Minister to a letter they had sent to her. Strong representations were made to the Soviet authorities about this.
§ Elsewhere the Polish authorities announced a relaxation of its passport policy and, according to the Ministry of the Interior, the number of passports issued is almost on the same scale as in the late 1970s.
§ There also appear to be fewer difficulties for expatriates visiting Poland to renew family ties. Moreover Polish authorities did not obstruct marriages between Polish and foreign nationals during the review period. A further positive move was the introduction of direct telephone dialling from the United States to Poland, but not vice versa.
92W§ The GDR removed, for children under 14 only, the hard currency exchange requirement for Western visitors, whilst Hungary approved new rules allowing its nationals to work abroad for up to five years.
§ Implementation in this field remains largely unchanged except that Bulgaria has ceased jamming the Bulgarian service to the Voice of America.