The information that follows pertains to the Soviet Union prior to its dissolution at the end of 1991.

In a telephone interview on 19 January 1995, a professor of history at Carleton University's Centre for Research on Canadian-Russian Relations in Ottawa provided the following information. The professor stated that, to the best of his knowledge, he was not aware of any law that required people to leave their internal passport at a government office before travelling outside the country, although people were often required to do so.

In a telephone interview on 19 January 1995, a professor of law who specializes in international and comparative law at Rutgers Law School in Camden, New Jersey, provided the following information. The professor stated that, to the best of his knowledge, people were able to leave their internal passports at home prior to travelling outside the country. It would probably have been mandatory to list one's parents' nationalities on university application forms. The professor added that he did not know whether it would have been necessary to list one's parents' nationalities on all employment application forms, but the higher and more sensitive the position, the greater the likelihood that the nationalities of the applicant's parents would have had to be indicated.

In a telephone interview on 19 January 1995, an official at the Mayrock Centre for Russian Research, Hebrew University, Jerusalem, provided the following information. This official did not indicate whether one's parents' nationalities were required on application forms. However, according to the Mayrock Centre official, people were normally required to indicate the name of their parents on application forms, and it would often have been possible to infer the parents' nationalities from their names.

This response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the DIRB within time constraints. This response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.

Professor of history, Centre for Research on Canadian-Russian Relations, Carleton University, Ottawa. 19 January 1995. Telephone interview.

Professor of law, Rutgers Law School, Camden, NJ. 19 January 1995. Telephone interview.

Official, Mayrock Centre for Russian Research, Hebrew University, Jerusalem. 19 January 1995. Telephone interview.