Postwar refugees files of The National Archives of Belgium

Scope and content

The collection includes files produced by the Belgian sections of international humanitarian organizations operating since the end of the Second World War to help Displaced Persons (DPs) stationed in Belgium.

Such organizations include private or international relief agencies. Private agencies comprise both Jewish agencies, such as the «Aide aux Israélites Victimes de Guerre» (Aid to Israeli War Victims), the COREF or «Comité israélite des Réfugiés victimes des Lois raciales» (Israelian Committee of Refugee Victims of Racial Laws), the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, Belgian Branch and non-Jewish agencies, such as the Regional Refugee Council in Oxford, UK.

International organizations includes the Belgian Red Cross, IGCR (Intergovernmental Commitee on Refugees), UNRRA (United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration), IRO (International Refugees Organization) and UNHCR (United Nations High Commisioner for Refugees). Other records producers include Belgian government agencies and offices such as the Public Security Office, Foreigners Police of the Belgian Ministry of Justice, the Belgian Ministry of Finance, the Belgian Ministry of Public Health and Family, the «Société Belge de Banque», the Belgian Commissariat for repatriation, French and Dutch embassies, offices and companies, citizenship and immigration offices of several countries of immigration and private persons such as doctors and family members of the applicants.

Records comprise IGCR, IRO and UNHCR registration forms and application forms for assistance, migration and support. Some forms include photographs of the applicants or copies of identity cards. Generally, these documents include information about the applicants such as personal data, family composition, previous residence, education, employment history and reasons for emigration. Other records comprise in the applicant files include payment vouchers, internal correspondence produced by the agencies or offices involved in the application, handwritten notes, dossiers, minutes and reports.