British Mandate: A Survey of Palestine: Volume I - Page 213

CHAPTER VII.

1945. The balance (2081) must be presumed to have been discharged in Palestine and either returned to their countries of origin of their own volition or remained in Palestine illegally.

62. In addition to these Syrian and Lebanese labourers who were brought to Palestine under official arrangements, inhabitants of neighbouring countries, attracted by the high rates of wages offered for employment on military works, entered Palestine illegally in considerable numbers during the War. For example, in 1942, Egyptian labour was brought into southern Palestine by civilian contractors to the military forces without any agreement with the civil administration; these contractors were employed on the construction of camps and aerodromes. No estimates are available of the numbers of foreign labourers who were so brought into the country by contractors or who entered individually in search of employment on military works.

63. In October 1944, after consultation with the 'military authorities, it was decided that the demand for unskilled labour was less acute and that Palestine's local manpower was considered adequate to meet both civil and military requirements. The period of emergency had passed and the time had arrived to put the law into force and to deport to their countries of origin the Syrian, Lebanese, Egyptian and other foreign labourers found to be illegally in Palestine.

64. These illegal immigrants fail into two classes :-

(a) Those employed directly by the War Department and the Royal Air Force. Recent surveys undertaken by these authorities gave a total of less than 4,000 employed by the War Department at 31st December, 1945, and about 380 employed by the R.A.F. at the same date. Over 3000 of those employed by the Army and about 300 of those employed by the R.A.F. were Egyptians; the great majority of the remainder were Syrians and Lebanese; there were also small numbers from Trans-Jordan, Persia, India, Somaliland, Abyssinia and the Hejaz. The main centres of employment are Haifa (about 1900), Sarafand (about 800), Rafah (about 600) and Nathanya (about 90). The Services authorities are not able at present to find Palestinians who could suitably replace all these foreigners and desire to retain, for the time being, nearly 2000 out of the total number employed at the end of 1945. The remainder are being repatriated under police arrangements.

(b) Those working for contractors engaged on military or R.A.F. construction or in other civil employment. When these foreign workers are discovered by the police they are repatriated.

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