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Minister for Immigration, Local Government and Ethnic Affairs
Vice President of the Executive Council
and Leader of the House
Mick Young, MP
Member for Port Adelaide
Rt Hon Sir Geoffrey Howe QC MP Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and Minister of Overseas Development
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Dear Sir Geoffrey
During your visit to Australia, you raised with the Prime Minister the possibility of Australia increasing the number of Indochinese refugees it accepts for resettlement fr Hong Kong. Mr Hawke undertook to consider the matter.
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You will be aware that Australia has a proud record of humanitarian resettlement and our response to the continued flow of people from Indochina has been generous. By 31 August 1987, Australia had resettled a total 105,455 Indochinese refugees of whom 5,947 were accepted from Hong Kong. Australia's humanitarian intake is diverse with refuge accepted from more than thirty countries around the world. believe that our program is a responsible and balanced reacti to the varied refugee situations confronting us today.
However large-scale resettlement clearly is not the only answe and Australia-remains committed to promoting non-resettlement durable solutions to the Indochinese refugee situation. particularly concerned that while Hong Kong still experiences boat arrivals, the indications are that fewer of these have genuine claims to refugee status. Taking larger numbers from Hong Kong may simply stimulate an increased outflow of Indochinese seeking economic betterment. We believe that screening and repatriation options for these people must be vigorously pursued.
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In Hong Kong, the predominantly North Vietnamese caseload has limited connection with Australia and few would qualify for priority access under our program which requires them to demonstrate that they are genuine refugees. Nonetheless, I anticipate that Australia will resettle about 475 Indochinese refugees from Hong Kong during our current program year which ends on 30 June 1988. This is, as you know, comparable with the number the United Kingdom expects to resettle over the nex two years.
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