:
4. MS. WENSLEY THEN REFERRED TO THE STATEMENT MADE BY MR. CHRIS
HURFORD ABOUT THE INCREASHING CONCERN THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT HAD OVER THE PROBLEM OF THE MNCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF REFUGEES
WHO HAD DEPARTED WETNAM FOR ECONOMIC REASONS. THE AUSTRAL HANS
BELIEVE THAT A LARGE PROPORTION OF THOSE LEAVING VIETNAM NOWADAYS
ARE NOT GENUINE REFUGEES AND CANNOT ESTABLISH ANY CLAM OF
INDIVIDUAL POLINTINCALLY-MOTIVATED PERSECUTION. RATHER, THEIR MAHIN REASON FOR LEAVING THE COUNTRY WAS FOR THE PURPOSE OF ACHIEVING
A BETTER ECONOMIC LIFE. HIN THE OPINION OF THE AUSTRALIAN
GOVERNMENT, SUCH REFUGEES SHOULD BE SCREENED SO THAT RESCOURCES MADE AVAILABLE BY AUSTRALIA (AND THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY
GENERALLY) TO RESPOND TO THE NEEDS OF GENUINE REFUGEES WERE NOT
ABUSED BY THOSE WHO HAD NO REAL CLAIM FOR REFUGEE STATUS. WE
AGREED WE HAD ALSO IDENTIFIED AN INCREASING NUMBER OF ARRIVALS
WHO HAD COME BECAUSE OF ECONOMIC REASONS AND THAT THE ONLY WAY
TO PREVENT FURTHER ARRIVALS FROM THIS GROUP OF PEOPLE WAS TO RETURN
THEM FROM WHENCE THEY CAME. MS. WENSLEY'S BRIEF RESPONSE COULD BE INTERPRETED TO THE EFFECT THAT THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT, BECAUSE MT WANTED TO REDUCE THE UNEMPLOYMENT CREATED BY ECONOMIC MIGRANTS, AT LEAST WOULD NOT (NOT) OPPOSE THIS SOLUTION. BUT, BECAUSE OF HMG'S PRESENT OPPOSITION TO MIT, WE DID NOT (NOT) PRESS HER FOR A CLEARER ANSWER.
5. MS. WENSLEY ALSO RAISED THE QUESTION OF MERCY SHIPS AND
SUBSEQUENTLY SENT US A PAPER SETTING OUT THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT'S
WIEWS ON THEIR OPERATHONS WHICH IS #INCLUDED IN MIFT.
6. WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE FOR CANBERRA TO TRY AND GET THE AUSTRALIAN
GOVERNMENT TO FIRM UP HITS VIEWS ON REPATRIATING ECONOMIC MIGRANTS,
AS PART OF YOUR EFFORT TO DEVELOP A MULTILATERAL APPROACH TO SOLVE
THE LONG TERM PROBLEM (YOUR TEL 1464)?
AKERS-JONES
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