Refugee Booklet

A family booklet issued for Maria Tougiousert and her children, Kyriakos (14 years old) and Gethsemane (10 years old), for the registration and recognition of refugees from the Alaya area, according to the rehabilitation procedures established after the Asia Minor Catastrophe.
The document is a valuable historical record not only for this particular family but also for the way the Greek state registered, protected, and at the same time restricted the movements of refugee populations.
Important Notice
On the left-hand page, the characteristic warning is printed:
“No refugee may travel from place to place without the permission of the authorities.”
This phrase reflects the strict administrative measures of the period and the close surveillance of refugee populations, who remained under continuous control until their full rehabilitation.
The Family’s True Surname
At the bottom of the right-hand page, the printed note is of particular significance:
“…as well as the head of the family with the family’s true surname.”
This requirement reveals the state’s concern to avoid variations or simplifications of surnames—common among refugees due to linguistic differences, local idioms, or enforced adaptations. The booklet thus records, in official form, the family’s authentic name prior to any later Hellenisation or change.