G.F. 82
File No.
-3-
Page
(g) The Australian Consul-General said that it would be difficult to maintain the offtake from Hong Kong at the present level, much less increase it. The Australians were
(h)
increasingly finding difficulty in identifying people who met their criteria as refugees. The Governor said that this summarized our own problem. We accepted everyone who arrived in Hong Kong but found it increasingly difficult to resettle them. We hoped that the international community would soon develop alternative solutions to the problem: otherwise places of first asylum would find it necessary to reassess their policy. Hayden said that the Australians had raised the issue of repatriation several times with the Vietnamese, but they had shown little interest in this;
Mr.
They
Mr. Hayden said that the Australian Government was concerned at the increasing number of students who came to Australia for English language training and then disappeared. would have to tighten up on this. The Consul-General said that so far the problem was mainly with students from the PRC. The increase in students from Hong Kong was too recent for any firm conclusions to be drawn but the Australians would be keeping a close eye on this.
사
(R.J.F. Hoare )
PS/GH
12.4.88
CC: CS
PA