IOM
Issues first decisions on Property Claims -
Property Claims Commission decided 986
claims for property losses under the Nazi regime
GENEVA, 28. January
2003 - Today,
the International Organization for Migration (IOM) has issued the first
decisions of the Property Claims Commission set up in the framework of the
German Foundation "Remembrance, Responsibility and Future". Of
the 986 individual claims decided by the Commission, 320 claims came from
Poland, 119 from the Czech Republic, 22 from Israel, 89 from Germany, 33
from the United States and 403 from other countries.
50% of eligible claimants received first payment - IOM will pay compensation
to approximately 70,000 claimants worldwide
GENEVA, 5 December
2002 - As of today,, the International Organization for Migration (IOM)
starts sending out cheques to another 10,506 claimants, who sought compensation
for slave or forced labour during the Nazi regime. IOM has now made first
instalment payments to more than 32,000 former slave and forced labourers,
that is almost 50% of the estimated total of 70,000 eligible claimants have
received a portion of their overall entitlement. So far, IOM distributed
more than EUR 74.6 million (DEM 145.9 million) to Nazi victims.
Italian
Military Internees (IMIs)
November/2002 - 1. Upon
the expiration of the filing deadline for the German Forced Labour Compensation
Programme, on 31 December 2001, the International Organization for Migration
(IOM) had received approximately 120,000 claims of former Italian Military
Internees (IMIs).
First
Instalment Payment for Slave Labourers will be increased - German Foundation's
Board of Trustees approves request submitted by IOM
GENEVA, 13 September
2002 -At its session on Thursday, 12 September 2002, the Board of Trustees
of the German Foundation "Remembrance, Responsibility and Future"
adopted a draft resolution of the International Organization for Migration
(IOM), approving an increase of the first instalment payment to claimants
in the slave labour category. In its next payment tranche, in mid November,
IOM will pay victims detained in a concentration camp, ghetto or another
place of confinement under comparable conditions during the Nazi regime
75% of the maximum compensation amount of DEM 15,000 (EUR 7,669).
Humanitarian
and Social Programmes for Holocaust Survivors - IOM launches first projects
for Roma Nazi victims in the Czech Republic and the Ukraine
GENEVA/PRAGUE, 1 August
2002 - The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has launched its
first projects in the Czech Republic and Ukraine within the framework of
its humanitarian and social programmes for needy victims of Nazi persecution.
On the occasion of the launch, IOM's Deputy Programme Director Delbert Field
stated: "Through these projects the often marginalized Roma survivors
of Nazi persecution, along with other victim groups, will receive some humanitarian
recognition."
For more information
on Field Coordinators, please click here
Extended
Hotline Hours Improve IOM Service for Claimants
GENEVA, 19 July 2002
-The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is extending the hours
of its Compensation Hotline.
In order to provide better service to claimants spread across the globe,
a multilingual IOM team now answers queries and questions regarding compensation
and status of claims Monday through Friday from 7.00 a.m. to 7.00 p.m.
Victims'
claims for Property Loss will be decided first
GENEVA, 13 MAY 2002 - At
its May 2002 session, the Property Claims Commission agreed to first issue
decisions on claims for property loss filed by victims of the Nazi regime.
The three members of the Commission, US national Richard Buxbaum, German
national Eberhard Hubrich and Swiss Chairman Pierre A. Karrer, emphasized
that the claims of this group would first be considered, followed by the
claims of heirs and then the claims filed by religious organizations and
other legal entities. "In view of the age of the individual claimants,
who were robbed of their property more than 55 years ago," Chairman
Karrer points out, "we feel that we have an obligation to decide their
claims prior to the claims of organizations and entities. The latter include
approximately 1,500 Czech 'church bell' claims." However, according
to the Foundation Act, all successful claimants will only receive their
compensation payment, once all claims have been decided and all appeals
have been processed.
