South African Sanctuary For Polish Refugees Aka South Africa Provides Sanctuary (1939)

Unused / unissued material - dates and locations unclear or unknown. Title reads: “South Africa Provides Sanctuary“. Library shots of Poland in 1939 showing Polish refugees on roads. C/U Polish flag. Various shots of refugee camp for Polish children in South Africa. The South African Minister of the Interior visits the camp with his wife. More library shots: various C/Us of Polish servicemen marching. South African newsreel story. Amendment July 2016: A visitor to the site has informed us about the following history of Polish refugees in South Africa: Thousands of Poles were deported to the USSR in 1940-1, after the Red Army invaded Poland. Following the outbreak of the Soviet-German war in June 1941, talks began between Stalin and the Polish government in exile. These concluded with the signing of the Sikorski-Mayski agreement (30 July 1941). In August 1941, Soviet authorities issued an “amnesty” decree for Polish citizens. The Polish-Soviet agreement enabled the Polish Embassy to resume operations,