Immigrants Balk at Flats

Five immigrant families who arrived from Europe by sea during the past few days staged sit-downs aboard ship at Haifa port because they were dissatisfied with the location of the flats allocated to them by the Absorption Ministry. Four of the families, numbering 21 persons, refused to disembark. Immigrants from France and other European countries insisted on housing in Haifa rather than the flats assigned them in locations east of that city.

Another family, numbering 10 persons, refused to leave another ship and spent two days aboard the vessel after being told that they were to be housed in Ashdod. The family demanded a flat in Rehovoth. They came ashore only when Ministry officials threatened to withdraw their immigrant permits as the ship was about to sail for France.