7020
MYLNAN 2551
CONFIDENTIAL
00 NEYOR
OG WASHI
F HOKON TO YEYOR
21053OZ OCT
GRS 900
CONFIDENTIAL
TO INMEDIATE HKGO NEW YORK
TELNO 17
OF 210530Z OCTOBER 35
INFO IMMEDIATE HKGO WASHINGTON
Se Elma bat The barbe
الكنسية
Стива
sand
2.1
21/10
the Australians
IMMEDIATE ADVANCE COPY
конку
SCORRA
HKK ZY RECEIVED IN REDISTRY
23 OCT 185
FOR DAVID ROADES FROM SIMON SIT, SECURITY BRANCHU
:GISTAV
Actions Fakat |
PLEASE PASS FOLLOWING TO KEN 200SHOUSE IN NEW YORK WHICH IS EXTRACT OF STATEMENT MADE BY MP HUFFORD, AUSTRALIAR VINISTER FOR IMMIGRATION AND ETHNIC AFFAIRS, ACNOUNCING AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT'S
DECISION TO INCREASE ITS OFFTAKE OF VIETNAMESE REFUGEES FROM
HONG KONG THIS YEAR FROM 400 TO 600 AND POSSIBLY TO 400.
BEGINS
PARLIAMENTARY QUESTION - VIETNAMESE REFUGEES
FROM FILE 558/11/1
FOLLOWING IS THE TEXT OF QUESTION WITHOUT NOTICE AND ANSWER GIVEN
IN HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ON 17 OCTOBER 1985.
MR HAND - HAS THE MINISTER FOR IMMIGRATION AND ETHNIC AFFAIRS NOTED PEPORTS OF REFUGEES FROM VIETNAM LANGUISHING FOR LONG PERIODS IN
CAMPS IN PLACES SUCH AS HONG KONG AND THE PHILIPPINES? | FURTHER ASK HIM: 15 THERE ANYTHING AUSTRALIA CAN DO TO HELP THESE PEOPLE?
R HURFORD - 4 GRATEFUL TO HONOURABLE MEMBERS FROM BOTH SIDES OF THE HOUSE, THE HONOURABLE MEMBER FOR GRAYNDLER, THE HONOURABLE MEMBER FOR DUNDAS AND OTHERS, WHO ARE TAKING A KEEN INTEREST IN THE VERY DIFFICULT REFUGEE SITUATION, PARTICULARLY IN THE BOAT CAMPS, TRADITIONALLY, WE LOOK AFTER REFUGEES IN PREFERENCE, OR PRIORITY. FROM MALAYSIA, THAILAND AND INDONESIA. HOWEVER, AS THE HONOURABLE MEMBER HAS SUGGESTED, THERE ARE PROBLEMS WITH LONG STAYERS IN THE CAMPS IN THE PHILIPPINES AND HONG KONG. THE PROBLEM OF LONG STAYERS CAUSES PARTICULAR DIFFICULTIES BECAUSE SO MANY OF THEM HAVE NOT MET
OUR SELECTION STANDARDS. I BELIEVE - THIS WOULD ALSO BE A BIPARTISAN APPROACH - THAT THERE ARE GOOD REASONS WHY WE SHOULD MAINTAIN OUR
SELECTION STANDARDS. WE ARE NOW EXPLORING THE POSSIBILITY OF WORLD-BASED VOLUNTARY ORGANISATIONS HELPING US WITH SKILL AND LANGUASE TRAINING IN THESE CAMPS. THERE IS A PRECEDENT FOR THIS IN THE PULAU BIDONG CAMP IN MALAYSIA WHICH THE HONOURABLE MEMBER FOR DUNDAS VISITED THE OTHER DAY, AND WHICH IS UNDER THE SUSPICES OF THE UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES. WE WANT MORE OF THAT SORT OF SKILL TRAINING. I BELIEVE THAT WHEN WE HAVE THAT SKILLS AND LANGUAGE TRAINING WE CAN DO MORE ABOUT LONG STAYERS IN THESE CAMPS.
INCIDENTALLY, OUR AUSTRALIAN RECORD IN RIPARTISAN IN RELATION TO OUR OWN REGION OF THE WORLD AND IS SECOND TO NONE. ALTHOUGH SOME EPOPLE WOULD PREFER THAT AUSTRALIA TOOK MORE REFUGEES IN THE CURRENT YEAR, WE BELIEVE THAT OUR FIGURE OF 6,000 15 COMMENDABLE, PARTICULARLY AS WE ARE NOW PUTTING MORE EMPHASIS ON FAMILY REUNIONS, THERE IS A LIMIT TO THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WE CAN EASILY SETTLE IN THIS COUNTRY, HOWEVER, THAT FIGURE OF 6,000 WILL NOT ONLY CONTINUE TO TAKE CARE OF OUR SPECIAL RESPONSIBILITIES IN MALAYSIA, THAILAND AND INDONESIA BUT I AM HAPPY TO SAY, AFTER LOOKING AT THE HONG KONG CAMP
PARTICULAR A WEEK AGO TODAY, WE ARE ALSO RESPONDING TO A SPECIAL REQUEST FROM THE U.K. GOVERNMENT AND THE HONG KONG AUTHORITIES TO INCREASE THE NUMBERS WE TAKE FROM THE HONG KONG CAMP. WE ARE INCREASING THAT NUMBER FROM 400 TO 600 AND WE MAY BE ABLE TO INCREASE IT FURTHER TO 800. 1 REPEAT: IT WILL STILL SE WITHIN OUP OVERALL LIMIT OF 6,000. IN REGARD TO THE PHILIPPINES WE HAD ALREADY DECIDED TO INCREASE OUR NUMBERS. IT IS A MODEST NUMBER OF 150 BECAUSE YE CONSIDER THAT THE COUNTRIES WHICH HAVE THE MAIN RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE PHILIPPINES CAMPS ARE THE U.S. AND CANADA.
IN CONCLUDING, I ISSUE A WORD OF CAUTION. THERE IS INCREASING EVIDENCE NOW THAT THE MORE RECENT ARRIVALS OF 30AT PEOPLES IN SOME OF THESE CAMPS, PARTICULARLY THE HONG KONG CAMP, ARE ECONOMIC RATHER THAN POLITICAL REFUGEES. THERE IS A LIMIT TO THE NUMBER OF REFUGEES WE CAN TAKE FROM ANY ONE PART OF THE WORLD IN PERPETUITY. AS I SAY, WE HAVE A RECORD SECOND TO NONE. BUT THE FEELING AMONGST THOSE WHO ARE INVOLVED WITH THE REFUGEE RESPONSIBILITY, BOTH THE U.S. AND CANADA AS WELL AS AUSTRALIA, IS THAT A SCREENING PROCESS POSSIBLY VILL HAVE TO COMMENCE IN REGARD TO PEOPLE ARRIVING IN HONG KONG FROM VIETNAM WITH A VIEW TO REPATRIATION, JUST AS THAT SCREETING PROCESS TAKES PLACE IN REGARD TO CHINESE PEOPLE ARRIVING IN HONG KONG, WE HAVE A BIG JOB TO DO IN THE AREA OF FAMILY REUNIONS OVER SUCCEEDING YEARS. AS WAS POINTED OUT BY THE HONOURABLE MEMBER FOR MELBOURNE IN RIS QUESTION, WE HAVE A BIG JOB TO DO IN TAKING THE LONG STAYERS IN THE CAMFS NOW. THEREFORE, WE MUST HAVE ANOTHER LOOK AT THE MOST RECENT ARRIVALS TO SEE WHETHER THEY SHOULD BE AMONG THOSE TO WHOM WE GIVE PRIORITY.
1 HOPE THAT WHAT THE VOLUNATRY AGENCIES DO WITH OUR HELP TO TRAIN THE LONG STAYERS AND THIS SHOULD BE A PRIORITY FOR US - WILL EXABLE THOSE WHO WANT TO HELP FOR COMPASSIONATE REASONS TO MAKE A BETTER EFFORT IN THAT REGARDS.
YOUDE
YYYY
HALLAN 2351
WANG
Page 135Page 136
+