Subtle Exclusions: Postwar Jewish Emigration to Australia and the Impact of the IRO Scheme

Abstract

In December 1946 the United Nations General Assembly ratified the establishment of the International Refugee Organisation (IRO) to deal with the problem of displaced persons (DPs) in Europe. From 1947 to 1950 a total of 200,000 DPs were admitted into Australia under the IRO, making the Australian intake the fourth largest, after the United States, Canada and Israel. However, Jews were excluded initially and when some were finally admitted, they had to be young, single and willing to sign a special work contract. Only about 500 Jews came to Australia sponsored through the IRO. This article explores the various bureaucratic measures introduced to discriminate against Jews and the reactions of the Jewish leadership.