Public Announcements in France in 1942

On 27.9.42, Vichy leader Pierre Laval told Paris radio that Jews who entered France before 1936 and "who wish to emigrate to places other than Germany" would be denied exit visas, even though they may already hold visas to countries such as the USA. His reasons were "because they might take up arms against Germany, which would be contrary to the Armistice agreement," and "there is a suspicion that they would work against the interests of the French Government as soon as they reached another country" (JTA, 28.9.42, and Jewish News, 14, 27.10.42, p.1). The second reason echoed that given by Lecca here for the change in Nazi policy regarding Jewish emigration.

On 22.10.42, the Nazi agency Transocean stated that Jewish children were to be held as hostages: "Vichy may not allow these children to leave unless inimical propaganda against France and Germany ceases in America (JTA, 23.10.42)." However, it was already known that Jewish children were being deported separately from their parents (JTA, 28.9.42).