§ Mr. Masonasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will give the monthly figures of those Soviet Jews who have (a) not been allowed and (b) have been allowed to emigrate in the current year.
§ Mr. RifkindNeither we nor any organisations concerned with Jewry with whom we have been in touch have been able to give a reliable figure for the number of Soviet Jews refused exit permission in 1985. Nor would such a figure of itself reflect the undoubtedly large number of Soviet Jews who would like to emigrate if they saw the chance of being permitted to do so. The monthly figures for those who have been granted exit visas this year are as follows:
Number January 61 February 88 March 98 April 166 May 51 June 36 July 174 August 29 September 93
§ Mr. Masonasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the representations he has made to the Soviet Union on behalf of those Soviet Jews who have applied for emigration and been refused. what is the latest estimate of those in this category and what reasons are given by the Soviet Union in his discussions for the refusals.
§ Mr. RifkindI raised the question of restrictions on Jewish emigration from the Soviet Union with the Soviet 453W First Deputy Foreign Minister during my visit to Moscow in July. I mentioned the specific cases of Roald Zelichenok and Anatoly Shcharansky. My right hon. and learned Friend mentioned a range of Soviet failures to observe commitments made under the Helsinki final act at the CSCE anniversary meeting in Helsinki, 30 July to 1 August. Recently, the Soviet response to questions about Soviet Jewry has generally been that the vast majority of those wishing to leave the Soviet Union have already done so. It is not possible to give a figure for the total number of Jews who have been refused exit permission. In 1983 the Israeli Government suggested that there might be around 10,000 Jewish refuseniks in the USSR, but we have no independent information against which to judge the reliability of this figure.
§ Mr. Masonasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what further representations he has in mind to draw attention to the Soviet Union that its constant refusal to allow Soviet Jews to emigrate is in breach of the Helsinki agreement, especially on the sections dealing with human rights, and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. RifkindIn his speech to the CSCE 10th anniversary commemorative meeting this summer, my right hon. and learned Friend made clear our regret at Eastern failure to live up to their human rights commitments under the Helsinki final act. I am placing a copy of that speech in the Library of the House. My right hon. and learned Friend also raised human rights with Mr. Shevardnadze bilaterally in Helsinki. We shall continue to take all appropriate opportunites to remind the Soviet Union of our wish to see full respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms in the Soviet Union, in accordance with its UN and Helsinki commitments.