TNAG-1275-FCO40-1625-Resettlement-of-Vietnamese-refugees-from-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 41

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immediate family reunion is involved. Noting the success of arrangements in relation to Vietnamese migration, the Government is committed to facilitating migration under normal criteria including from countries and regions which are at

present the source of refugees.

The intention to diversify to a greater extent the sources of the Australian intake signifies our preparedness to play a role as necessary in regions other than our own. This accords with our perceptions of international burden-sharing and our expectations of the international community's role in our own region.

Indochinese Refugees

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Australia's refugee intake under this program has been about

14,000 for the last two years. The scale of the outflow

has however been diminishing and the projected program for

1983/84 reflects this in allowing for 10,000 places (the

intake for the current year 1982/83 is expected to be about

12,000). Even this lower figure demonstrates the priority the Government accords to the program, as it amounts to half

the global allocation of places for refugees.

The Government has at the same time placed greater emphasis on political solutions to refugee situations rather than

reliance on resettlement. This is being pursued in the

context of Australia's announced intention of exploring a possible role in facilitating contact on the Cambodian problem. Moreover, Australia is providing considerable humanitarian assistance to Cambodians and Laotians, in order

not only to meet the immediate material needs of refugees and displaced persons in camps in Thailand and along the border but also to assist returnees to resettle in their home

countries.

East European Refugees

Intakes under this program have increased rapidly in the late seventies, peaking in 1981/82 at 6,000 as a result of the

Polish crisis. About 65 per cent of the intake is Polish.

The likely intake for 1982/83 will be 3,500.

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