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During this period, HICEM in France worked closely with HICEM in Lisbon.{{sfn|Marrus|1995|p=310}} Lisbon, as a neutral port, was the path of choice for Jews escaping Europe to North and [[South America]]. Many of these fled from the [[Netherlands]] and Belgium and through France, or else started directly in France, and then were smuggled and climbed over the [[Pyrenees]] with "passeur" guides to [[Barcelona]], and then by train through Madrid and finally to Lisbon. From Lisbon many refugee Jewish families sailed to America on the [[RMS Ebro|Serpa Pinto]] or its sister ship the Mouzinho.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://digitalassets.ushmm.org/photoarchives/detail.aspx?id=1144450|title=Children on the deck of the Mouzinho en route to America| publisher=[[United States Holocaust Memorial Museum]]|accessdate=October 27, 2014}}</ref>
In the main, HICEM (HIAS) helped intact or semi-intact families to flee. But, often together with [[Œuvre de secours aux enfants]] (OSE) or with
Other rescue organizations also moved their European offices to Lisbon at that time, including "the Joint"
From 1940 onward, HICEM's activities were partly supported by the Joint. Despite friction between the two organizations, they worked together to provide refugees with tickets and information about visas and transportation, and helped them leave Lisbon on neutral Portuguese ships, mainly, as already stated above, the Serpa Pinto and the Mouzinho. In all, some 40,000 Jews managed to escape Europe during the [[Holocaust]] with HICEM's and the
=== Jewish displaced persons ===
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During the 1960s, HIAS rescued Jews from [[Algeria]], [[Tunisia]], and [[Libya]] and arranged with [[Morocco]]'s [[Hassan II of Morocco|King Hassan]] for the evacuation of his country's huge Jewish community to France and, eventually, Israel. Of almost one million Jewish refugees from [[Muslim]] countries, about 80,000 were resettled by HIAS.
In 1965, HIAS was instrumental in the passage of an immigration law that finally replaced the [[Immigration Act of 1924|National Origins Quota]], eliminating decades of ethnic admission policies for the US. In 1968, HIAS came to the aid of Czechoslovakia's Jews after the suppression of the "[[Prague Spring]]
In 1975, following the [[fall of Saigon]], HIAS was asked by the State Dept to aid in resettling 3600 Vietnam refugees.{{r|HIAS-history}}
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Early on, Vienna became the first stop for all Jews exiting the USSR. There they were greeted by a representative of the [[Jewish Agency for Israel]] (JAFI) and by HIAS, and were asked to determine their final destination. Those who were going to Israel were assisted by JAFI; those headed for the U.S. or elsewhere were processed by HIAS. After a short stay in Vienna, those destined for the U.S. were transferred to [[Rome]], where they were processed by the [[Immigration and Naturalization Service|U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS)]]. This route came to be known as the [[Vienna-Rome Pipeline]].<ref>[https://www.jta.org/1989/11/07/archive/u-s-takes-step-toward-shutting-down-vienna-rome-pipeline-for-refugees]</ref><ref>[http://www.stateless.us/]</ref>
In August 1972, HIAS obtained [[Parole (United States immigration)|U.S. parole status]] for hundreds of Russian refugees waiting in Rome, cutting their transit time from six months to six weeks. Parole made immigration possible without delay for all members of a family unit reunifying with their relatives in the U.S., who were formally considered their "sponsors
In an effort to alleviate the financial burden on communities accepting increased numbers of Russian refugees, HIAS negotiated with the U.S. State Department a one-time $300 per-capita grant for Russians who emigrated from Europe to the U.S. after January 1974. HIAS passed along the full amount to each resettlement agency.
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As of 2017, HIAS operates in the following places.
In the United States, HIAS helps resettle refugees from around the world through a national affiliate network of Jewish agencies. It coordinates resettlement services, provides extensive integration and citizenship programs for Russian speaking refugees and immigrants, and gives scholarships to refugees. HIAS also advocates for immigration laws with a network of Jewish, interfaith, and other partners in Washington, DC, and nationwide. Additionally, HIAS promotes educational initiatives that encourage Jewish communities to engage in refugee aid and services. As of 2017, HIAS initiatives include:
* National Rabbinic Letter: HIAS organized an open letter urging elected officials to continue accepting refugees into the U.S. The letter was signed by 2,001 rabbis as of May 2017.
* HIAS Welcome Campaign: More than 430 synagogues participate in this campaign to support newly resettled refugee families in their communities.<ref>[https://www.hias.org/welcome-campaign-congregations "Welcome Campaign Congregations"]''HIAS.org website''</ref>
* Legal Action: In February 2017, HIAS initiated a legal challenge against U.S. President Trump's executive order entitled "Protecting the Nation from Terrorist Entry into the United States
In Vienna and Kyiv, HIAS helps Jews and others from 43 countries receive protection and seek asylum or resettlement. In 2016 HIAS opened an office on the Greek island of Lesvos to provide legal services for refugees arriving by sea, predominantly from Syria.
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