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HIAS shuts Vienna office that aided generations of refugees after Trump pulls funding

JL;DR SUMMARY HIAS has closed its Vienna office, a historical transit point for Jewish refugees from Europe and the Middle East since World War II, due to the Trump administration's suspension of the U.S. refugee program, ending critical funding. A way out west there was a fella, fella I want to tell you about, fella by the name of Jeff Lebowski. At least, that was the handle his lovin' parents gave him, but he never had much use for it himself. This Lebowski, he called himself the Dude. Now, Dude, that's a name no one would self-apply where I come from. But then, there was a lot about the Dude that didn't make a whole lot of sense to me. And a lot about where he lived, likewise. But then again, maybe that's why I found the place s'durned innarestin'.

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Tags

Jewish HistoryTrump AdministrationViennaRefugeesDisplacementResettlementHiasEritrean Asylum SeekersIranian Religious MinoritiesLautenberg Amendment

Places mentioned

Vienna, Austria
"Refugees from Hungary gather in the HIAS Vienna office, some expressing a desire to immigrate to the United States, and others to Australia."
Iran
"HIAS said the move has left more than 14,000 Iranian religious minorities including hundreds of Jews and thousands of Bahai, Christians, Zoroastrians and Sabean Mandaeans stranded in Iran."
Israel
"Several hundred Eritrean and other asylum seekers in Israel have also lost their pathway to resettlement following the closure."
Hungary
"Vienna again emerged as a refugee crossroads after the 1956 Hungarian Revolution, when thousands of Jews fled Soviet-backed repression and passed through Austria."
United States
"Vienna served as the first stop in what became known as the Vienna-Rome pipeline, the migration route used by more than 400,000 Jews from the former Soviet Union as they resettled in the United States and other countries."
Russian Federation
"During that period, Vienna served as the first stop in what became known as the Vienna-Rome pipeline, the migration route used by more than 400,000 Jews from the former Soviet Union."
Australia
"Refugees from Hungary gather in the HIAS Vienna office, some expressing a desire to immigrate to the United States, and others to Australia, where they have relatives."

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Cairo Item ID 74511
Cairo Source ID 35
Retrieved 2026-02-04 05:31:04 UTC
Curated 2026-02-04 08:31:55 UTC