Persons who lost property under the Nazi regime with the direct participation of German enterprises and who did not have the opportunity to participate in previous German compensation and restitution programs are eligible for compensation. "It is important that applicants are able to prove that they lost property as a result of the direct participation of a German enterprise and did not have the opportunity to submit claims under previous German compensation programs," noted Dirk de Winter, director of the German Forced Labor Compensation Program implemented by IOM.
A total of 200 million German marks have been allocated for compensation for property loss during the National Socialist period. Heirs and religious communities may also claim compensation. Mr. de Winter stressed that decisions on claims will be made by the Property Claims Commission in Geneva, and compensation payments will begin only after all property loss claims have been reviewed. Property loss claims must be submitted no later than August 11.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is also beginning to review compensation claims under the Settlement Agreement reached in 2000 between Holocaust victims and Swiss banks. A settlement fund of 1.25 billion US dollars was created to compensate for bank deposits belonging to Holocaust victims that were not returned to their heirs, as well as to compensate former slave laborers and certain other victims of the Nazi regime. "Under our Holocaust Victim Assets Program ('Swiss Banks'), we expect to receive between 20,000 and 25,000 claims and pay between 20 and 25 million US dollars to claimants around the world," said Dirk de Winter.
As one of three organizations authorized by the Settlement Agreement, IOM is responsible for the following three categories of claimants:
– persons persecuted because they were or were considered to be Roma (Gypsies), Jehovah's Witnesses, homosexuals, physically or mentally disabled, and were forced into slave labor for German companies or for the Nazi regime (category "slave labor category I");
– persons who were forced into slave labor during the Nazi regime for certain Swiss companies and their subsidiaries, regardless of whether they were subjected to Nazi persecution (category "slave labor category II");
– persons persecuted because they were or were considered to be Roma (Gypsies), Jehovah's Witnesses, homosexuals, physically or mentally disabled, and who were denied entry to Switzerland, or who were detained and subjected to cruel treatment as refugees in Switzerland between January 1, 1933 and May 9, 1945 (category "refugees").
Heirs of representatives of the above three categories may file compensation claims only if the victim died after February 15, 1999. "This mandate confirms the expertise and international scope of activities carried out by the large number of IOM offices around the world," emphasized Mr. de Winter.
Claims under the "slave labor category I" must be submitted no later than August 11, 2001, and under the "slave labor category II" and "refugee" categories no later than September 30, 2001. Persons seeking compensation may contact the Kyiv office of the International Organization for Migration for information on claim processing: Kyiv, 3 Mechnikova St. (2nd floor); tel.: (044) 490-56-84.
The organization AV Data assists IOM in providing assistance to Roma (Gypsy) applicants. Roma (Gypsies) can contact AV Data by phone in Izmail: (0482) 68-37-06.
The administrative office of the religious organization "Jehovah's Witnesses in Ukraine" assists IOM in providing assistance to Jehovah's Witness applicants, who can contact the office by phone in Lviv: (0322) 40-92-00.
Since IOM's responsibility for reviewing property loss claims and the Holocaust Victim Assets Program may lead to some confusion, it is important to emphasize that claimants under the "slave and forced labor" and "personal injury" categories living in Ukraine should still contact the Ukrainian National Foundation "Understanding and Reconciliation" (Kyiv, 15 Frunze St.; tel.: (044) 462-50-06).
_