2017-01-28

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INTERNATIONAL HOLOCAUST REMEMBRANCE DAY

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Candles mark the railway tracks leading to the Auschwitz camp during the commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the liberation of the camp. Poland, January 27, 2005.

Candles mark the railway tracks leading to the Auschwitz camp during the commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the liberation of the camp. Poland, January 27, 2005.

— Reuters

January 27 is designated by the United Nations General Assembly as International Holocaust Remembrance Day. Since 2005, the UN and its member states have held commemoration ceremonies to mark the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau and to honor the victims and the survivors of the Holocaust.

https://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article...uleId=10008232

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On May 13, 1939, the German transatlantic liner St. Louis sailed from Hamburg, Germany, for Havana, Cuba. On the voyage were 937 passengers. Almost all were Jews fleeing from the Third Reich. Most were German citizens, some were from eastern Europe, and a few were officially "stateless."

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Following the US government's refusal to permit the passengers to disembark, the St. Louis sailed back to Europe on June 6, 1939. The passengers did not return to Germany, however. Jewish organizations (particularly the Jewish Joint Distribution Committee) negotiated with four European governments to secure entry visas for the passengers: Great Britain took 288 passengers; the Netherlands admitted 181 passengers, Belgium took in 214 passengers; and 224 passengers found at least temporary refuge in France. Of the 288 passengers admitted by Great Britain, all survived World War II save one, who was killed during an air raid in 1940. Of the 620 passengers who returned to continent, 87 (14%) managed to emigrate before the German invasion of Western Europe in May 1940. 532 St. Louis passengers were trapped when Germany conquered Western Europe. Just over half, 278 survived the Holocaust. 254 died: 84 who had been in Belgium; 84 who had found refuge in Holland, and 86 who had been admitted to France.

https://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article...uleId=10005267

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he executive order, released late Friday, shuts down the entire U.S. refugee program for 120 days. During that time, the departments of State and Homeland Security will work with the FBI and the CIA to develop "enhanced vetting" to screen people seeking refugee status.

Even after that government-wide review, however, the order bars all Syrians from entering the U.S., the only country singled out in the president's order.

"I hereby proclaim that the entry of nationals of Syria as refugees is detrimental to the interests of the United States," the order read. Syrians will be barred until Trump feels that "sufficient changes" have been made to screening procedures.

The order also bars for 60 days any kind of legal immigration from seven countries with close ties to terrorist organizations. Three of them — Iran, Sudan and Syria — comprise the State Department’s list of state sponsors of terrorism. The other four — Iraq, Libya, Somalia and Yemen — are designated “terrorist safe havens” by the State Department.

The order drew widespread condemnation from Democrats, immigrant and civil rights groups around the world.

Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., said: "Make no mistake - this is a Muslim ban." Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said: "Tears are running down the cheeks of the Statue of Liberty tonight."

David Miliband, president and CEO of the International Rescue Committee, said the order was completely unnecessary since the U.S. already has the "strongest, most successful" resettlement program in the world.

"In truth, refugees are fleeing terror — they are not terrorists," Miliband said. "And at a time when there are more refugees than ever, America must remain true to its core values. America must remain a beacon of hope."

Trump's executive order suspends the entry of Syrian refugees into U.S.

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