Source 3

Transcript

S. of S. [Secretary of State]
…
If once we admit the principle that Polish refugees who are not dependents of the Polish Armed Forces can come to this country, we open the door to requests that this country will admit Polish refugees from all over the world, including large groups in Shanghai, in Africa, in Palestine and in the Middle East.
On the other hand, it can be argued that the United Kingdom Government has some special responsibility for the people who are in India. Their history is that they reached Persia [Iran] via Russia, that when in Persia they became a military embarrassment for the reasons of supply and defence, and for this reason it was arranged that they should be sent to India.
At the meeting of the Official Committee a suggestion was made that these refugees who are not dependents of the Polish 2nd Corps might be sent to East Africa either in addition to the Polish refugees who are already there or in substitution for a corresponding number of refugees already in East Africa who are dependents

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of the Polish Armed Forces. The objection, however, to bringing from East Africa a corresponding number of dependents of the Polish Forces is that there are about 6,000 such dependents in South and East Africa, that the War Office are not a present able to make arrangements for their transfer to the United Kingdom, and that if once a group of them is moved the reminder will become restless and expect to be transferred immediately.
It would seem, therefore, that if we are to move from India to East Africa those Polish refugees who are not dependents of the 2nd Corps, they must become additional to the refugees already in East Africa. To this I understand the Colonial Office object. It is being arranged that the Colonial Office shall be represented at the meeting of the Ministerial committee, and if Ministers are satisfied that these people must be removed free from India, it will next be for the Colonial Secretary to satisfy the Committee that they cannot be admitted to East Africa.
If Ministers are satisfied (a) that they must be removed from India, and (b) that they cannot be admitted to East Africa, then I can see no alternative to bringing them to this country; but we must try to devise some reason for differentiating them from other Polish refugees to various parts of the world. Only reason I can suggest for differentiation is that they are at present associated with the 3,600 persons who are dependents of the Polish 2nd Corps, that they have in connection with the composite camp their own hospitals, schools, etc. and that from the point of morale and organisation there is something to be said for keeping all the inmates of the camp together (other than the separate orphans) group and bringing them to this country together.
16.7.46