HC Deb 18 March 1947 vol 435 cc44-5W
109. Mr. Driberg

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what are his proposals for the repatriation of Rumanian and other nationals who served, voluntarily or under compulsion, with the enemy forces and are now held as German prisoners of war.

Mr. McNeil

Prisoners of war whose non-German nationality can firmly be established and against whom no special security charges lie, can be and are being released for repatriation to the authorities of the countries concerned. Distinction is however made between ex-enemy and other nationals, in that the former must, subject to transport and administrative requirements which might necessitate movement in bulk, await the date at which they would otherwise be repatriated to Germany within their Group, whereas the latter are released as soon as the authorities of the countries concerned state their readiness to receive them. An exception to this rule is, however, made in the case of Austrian nationals, almost all of whom have already been repatriated.