CONFIDENTIAL
4-0.HL7490
TIMES. OTHER DISADVANTAGED GROUPS AND SOME CONSERVATIVE MINORITY ORGANISATIONS CAN BE VERY VOCAL IN THEIR CRITICISMS. THIS CAN PLACE LIMITS ON THE LEVEL OF ACCEPTANCE OF REFUGEES FROM A PARTICULAR AREA OVER AND BEYOND THE PHYSICAL LIMITS OF GOVERNMENT SPONSORED ACCOMMODATION AND OTHER RECEPTION FACILITIES.
THERE HAS UNFORTUNATELY BEEN A FEW INCIDENTS REFLECTING A RESENTMENT TO REFUGEE SETTLEMENT PARTICULARLY IN AREAS OF CONCENTRATION. THE IMPACT UPON COMMUNITY RESOURCES PARTICULARLY IN THE CURRENT ECONOMIC SITUATION IS SUCH THAT CONSIDERABLE CAUTION NEEDS TO BE EXERCISED TO ENSURE CONTINUING PUBLIC ACCEPTANCE. FURTHER THE PRESSURE ON PUBLIC FUNDS HAS BEEN CONSIDERABLE.
'I EXPECT. THAT IF THE UNITED STATES RECOVERY CONSOLIDATES AND EXPANDS, AND AS OTHER NATIONAL ECONOMIES INCLUDING OUR OWN IMPROVE, THERE WILL BE A LESSENING OF ADVERSE CRITICISMS TO REFUGEE INTAKE PROBLEMS.
ANOTHER ASPECT OF AUSTRALIAN PARTICIPATION IN THE INDO-CHINESE PROBLEM ARISES FROM OUR UNIQUE POSITION AS THE ONLY MAJOR RESETTLEMENT COUNTRY IN THE REGION. AUSTRALIA MUST NOT ONLY PARTICIPATE GENEROUSLY IN THE RESOLUTION OF THE INDO-CHINESE REFUGEE PROBLEM BUT WE MUST ALSO CONTINUE TO ACT IN WAYS WHICH ARE CONSISTENT WITH OUR PREFERRED ROLE AND RELATIONSHIPS IN THE REGION IN FUTURE.
WE WILL ALL BE JUDGED BY WHETHER WE ALLOW IMMEDIATE POLITICAL DIFFERENCES TO INHIBIT OUR THINKING WHEN WE EXAMINE MEASURES TO RESOLVE THE FUTURE OF DISPLACED PERSONS.
BEFORE I TURN TO THE FUTURE, LET ME CONSOLIDATE FOR YOU, BRIEFLY, WHAT I HAVE JUST SAID.
WE WILL CONTINUE OUR COMMITMENT TO REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT
WE EXPECT THIS COMMITMENT WILL HAVE A SIGNIFICANT INDO-CHINE SE COMPONENT AS PART OF A CONTINUING PROGRAM BY MAJOR RESETTLEMENT NATIONS
WE WILL CONTINUE TO DIVERSIFY THE SOURCES OF OUR INTAKE OF REFUGEES AND HUMANITARIAN CASES
WE WILL CONTINUE OUR POLICY OF ASSESSING INDIVIDUAL REFUGEE CLAIMS ON A CASE-BY-CASE BASIS.
MR CHAIRMAN, THE AUSTRALIAN LABOR GOVERNMENT WILL, IN THE FUTURE, PLACE GREATER EMPHASIS ON POLITICAL SOLUTIONS TO THE PROBLEMS FACING REFUGEES. WE ARE COMMITTED TO GIVING INCREASED ATTENTION TO HUMANITARIAN AND REFUGEE CONCERNS IN OUR FOREIGN POLICY OBJECTIVES. WE WILL BE LOOKING AT A WIDER RANGE OF APPROACHES TO ADDRESS BOTH THE CAUSE AND EFFECT OF REFUGEE OUTFLOWS. THESE WILL INCLUDE HORE EMPHASIS ON MEDIATION, NEGOTIATION AND THE APPLICATION OF FINANCIAL RELIEF TO THOSE CONDITIONS CREATING REFUGEE OUTFLOWS.
COUNTRIES OF THE REGION RECOGNISE THAT THE INDO-CHINESE OUTFLOW HAS ITSELF BEEN A DESTABILISING FACTOR WHICH HAS ADDED TO OTHER REGIONAL TENSIONS. THE ASYLUM COUNTRIES CONSIDER THAT THE INFLOW HAS POSED FOR THEM PROBLEMS OF INTERNAL SECURITY.
THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT IS WELL AWARE OF THE MANY SOCIAL: PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH MASS OUTFLOWS OF PEOPLE FROM DEVELOPING COUNTRIES.. THESE PROBLEMS SOMETIMES ARISE BECAUSE OF THE POPULATION COMPOSITION OF ADJACENT COUNTRIES OF FIRST REFUGE.
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