Ext 5001/41 'PERSIA – INTERNAL (Miscellaneous despatches).' [‎14r] (27/248)

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the Treasury Anglo-Polish Committee which was winding up the affairs of the
London Polish Government. U.N.K.R A. therefore requested to be relieved of
their existing obligations, though they would be ready if asked to take over the
1 oles on their own terms and, for example, run the camps themselves on their own
more economical lines.
112. On the 24th August the embassy pointed out to the Foreign Office
that then position of protectors of the Polish refugees was proving invidious.
Un the one hand, Moscow newspapers were accusing representatives of the former
Po ish Government of sending to other countries Poles who desired to return to
Poland and since these representatives were controlled by His Maiesty’s Govern
ment, these accusations reflected on them. On the other hand, the oblio-ation
imposed on the embassy by His Majesty’s Government to reduce the expenditure
Qt made the embass y unpopular. The embassy therefore recom
mended that the refugees should be entirely transferred to U.N.R.R.A. as soon
as possible^ On the 1st September the Foreign Office informed the embassy confi
dentially that they had asked U.N.R.R.A. to assume responsibility for displaced
. persons the majority of whom were Poles, in the British Empire, and, where
tt xt'S S A ■ , , not ? one 80 alread y. in the Middle East, including Persia.
U.JVK.K.A. had not, however, replied by the end of the quarter
113. At an interview with the Polish Refugee Section of the Embassy, the
new \\ arsaw Charge d Affaires said that he was unable at present to give official
assistance to any refugees wishing to return from here to Poland, though any who
could travel at their own expense were welcome to go back. Nor could he maintain
any refugees who adhered to him or establish camps for them He however
expressed a wish to visit their camp and asked for facilities to circulate his
Legation s bulletin there as the refugees knew nothing about the present Poland
Ihe Embassy agreed to both these requests. Finally, the Charge d’Affaires
explained that he saw no objection to the move of the refugees to the Lebanon
since repatriation to Poland from there would be easier than from Persia.
a ^ itud ? t be Charge d’Affaires made matters politicallv much
less difficult for this Embassy, since his acquiescence in our arrangements mini
mised the prospect of Soviet misrepresentation. On the other hand, his refusal
to repatriate or maintain his adherents meant that none would declare themselves
openly for him as otherwise they would forfeit their benefits under the existing
j refugee organisation. It is thought, however, that if given a firm chance of
returning to Poland, about 300^00 (i.e., some 10 per cent, of the total) would o- 0
115. By the end of the quarter the number of Poles in Persia had °- 0 ne down
from 3,798 to 3,475. s
^ t
Persian Internees.
116. All remaining Persian internees, including both those interned in
Persia and those interned in Palestine, were released on the 15th August or a
few days later. In order to anticipate any manifestation in their favour, repre
senting- them as Persian patriot martyrs, a communique was published’at the
same time in the press by His Majesty’s Embassy, emphasising their complicity
m the German conspiracy against the Allies and reproducing 1 ; in facsimile, the
letter addressed by the Sayyid Abul Qasim Kashani to the Grand Mufti and
Rashid Ali in Berlin.
European Internees.
117. In consultation with the Security Authorities it was decided on the
7th June that, in principle, none of the several hundreds of Europeans deported
from Persia or arrested in Persia in and after the year 1941 should be allowed
to return, except for compelling compassionate reasons. The grounds for this
, * decision were—
(1) That under present economic conditions in Persia, Europeans would
rarely be able to find employment.
r (2) That the return to Persia of several hundred Axis partisans having little
love for the Allies would be undesirable for reasons of security.
(3) That the necessary consultations with the Russians might cause
difficulties.
118. Although the British Security control of entry into Persia was surren
dered in August at the time of the end of hostilities against Japan, the Persian
authorities appear to be unwilling to permit the entry of ex-internees without
express British approval. In these circumstances the above decision was then
upheld and was made known to the Persian Government and to the Australian
Government and the Government of India.