*
AUSTRALIA
AUSTRALIAN EMBASSY,
BANGKOK.
Statement by Mr Vincent Giuca
Counsellor (Immigration Section)
Australian Embassy
STATEMENT ON AUSTRALIA'S INDO-CHINESE PROGRAM IN THAILAND
Australia's ongoing refugee resettlement program is part of our overall humanitarian assistance to displaced in Thailand. persons who have been given temporary refuge This is in line with Australia's refugee policy of seeking to the needs to respond in an integrated and flexible way created by refugee situations around the world, and the those premise that resettlement should only be reserved for for whom other durable solutions are not possible.
and
its
and
Australia's intake of refugees is in keeping with the
solidarity
burden sharing principle of international
humanitarian objectives
in refugee type situations. On this basis Australia's refugee program is determined annually by the Government taking into account the leveis of refugee populations in first asylum countries, the view of the United Nations High Commissioner
other of for Refugees, the projected intake
resettlement countries, the prevailing economic situation in Australia, the background of the refugees themselves and their to integrate, the amount of assistance voluntary agencies and humanitarian concern to the Australian community.
is
situations
ability
available
from
particular
of
resettlement
in
of places meet
AS the number of
seeking refugees Australia
far greater than the number available, not all persons who match the UN definition Australia's own criteria for the determination of refugee status and satisfy the prevailing program selection criteria.
Since July 1982, determinations of refugee status have been
that the
ensure
made
is to individual on an
basis; this decision to
is refugees accept
made Broadly speaking,
responsibly and with compassion. priorities within the
determined
by
several
themselves, such as
Australian refugee factors relating already having family
to
are
program
the refugees
in
Australia,
having close ties with Australia because of education or
former employees of employment, or being
mission or business overseas.
an Australian
The Indochinese
program is for nationals
Kong
Macau.
or stateless seek ing Kampuchea
the Malaysia, Singapore,
and
Australia
former residents of Vietnam, Laos and first
Thailand,
in refuge
Philippines, Indonesia, Hong
will continue its program of resettlement of Indochinese refugees for those most in need of resettlement. However, with the changing nature of outflow and as other solutions
the
need continued are pursued
for
resettlement
should
gradually reduce.
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