1
UNCLASSIFIED
58060
1
DESTINATION IN NUMERICAL TERMS.
AUSTRALIA ALSO CONSIDERS THAT THE UNITED KINGDOM SHOULD PURSUE THE OPTION OF REPATRIATION, GIVEN THAT THE MAJORITY OF CURRENT ARRIVALS IN HONG KONG FROM VIETNAM APPEAR TO HAVE NO MORE CLAIM TO REFUGEE STATUS THAN ILLEGAL ENTRANTS FROM CHINA. AUSTRALIA WOULD WELCOME THE CREATION OF AN ON-ARRIVAL SCREENING PROGRAM IN HONG KONG TO SEPARATE THOSE WITH GENUINE REFUGEE CLAIMS FROM THOSE SEEKING MIGRATION TO THE WEST.
•
AUSTRALIA ACKNOWLEDGES THAT REPATRIATION WOULD CLEARLY NOT BE ACCEPTABLE TO THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY WITHOUT PRIOR VIETNAMESE ACQUIESCENCE IN SUCH ACTION AND AN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ON THE PART OF THE VIETNAMESE AUTHORITIES OF THE RIGHT OF SUCH PERSONS TO BE RE-INTEGRATED INTO VIETNAMESE SOCIETY.
AUSTRALIA NEVERTHELESS BELIEVES THAT REPATRIATION OF PERSONS WITH NO GENUINE CLAIM TO REFUGEE STATUS WOULD BE A POSITIVE
DEVELOPMENT. IT WOULD GO A CONSIDERABLE WAY TOWARDS BREAKING
DOWN THE CLIMATE OF EXPECTATION IN VIETNAM WHICH EQUATES
ARRIVAL IN A COUNTRY OF FIRST REFUGE WITH EVENTUAL RE-SETTLEMENT.
YOUNG
OCMIAN 8060
BOAT PEOPLE LIMITE
ADDITIONAL DISTRIBUTION BOAT PEOPLE
UND
NEWS D MAXD
PO
PA/MR RENTON
SIR W HARDING
MR SLATER MR WILSON