TNAG-0203-FCO40-239-Immigration-control-1969 — Page 87

OFFICE OF THE COMMONWEALTH SECRETARY-GENERAL

MARLBOROUGH HOUSE · PALL MALL LONDON SW1

Circular Letter No. 47/69

RESTRICTED

3 July, 1969.

I attach a draft questionnaire which we have prepared in the Secretariat in order to obtain information from Commonwealth governments to enable us to make some further progress in carrying out the request set out in paragraph 27 of the Communique of the Commonwealth Prime Ministers' Meeting in January, to explore ways and means of studying the question of migration in the Commonwealth on a continuing basis with a view to providing relevant information to the governments concerned. The questionnaire is the same as that discussed informally at a meeting of Commonwealth representatives on 30 June.

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I should be grateful if you would now forward the questionnaire to your Government for their attention and reply. In doing so you may wish to explain that - as you know I have been having consultations with Commonwealth representatives and also with some non-government experts over the past three months to try to establish the best way of setting about this task. It has been generally agreed that the first requirement is to establish the basic facts both as regards the statistics and the legislation and administrative procedures affecting migration. It is hoped that this information will provide a basis for such specialised studies as might then seem useful to interested governments.

In devising the questions, therefore, we have tried to keep in mind the possible further areas of study that have been suggested in the course of my consultations with Commonwealth representatives. In particular I have had in mind that many governments are clearly concerned to approach the problem from the positive point of view, e.g. the possibili- ties of encouraging migration for the benefit of economic development and the sort of assistance that may be desirable to make the best combined use of human and natural resources. There are also the related questions of the flows of highly skilled manpower in various key sectors and governments may be interested in suggesting possible studies in particular fields. If, in addition to answering the specific questions in the questionnaire, any governments would feel inclined to express any general views on the likely or desirable trends of immigration or emigration and their assessment of the problems of achieving it, this might provide a basis for further forward projecting studies.

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