TNAG-1420-FCO40-1903-Hong-Kong-Parliamentary-Sub-Committee-on-Race-Relations-and--1985 — Page 89

CONFIDENTIAL

whenever opportunities arise in the coming weeks

Australian Position

4. The Australians accepted 736 Vietnamese refugees from

Hong Kong in 1984, the largest number after the US (1541)

and Canada (1008). They have accepted 383 SO far this

year.

In the past they have been reluctant to increase

their off take of refugees from Hong Kong in the absence of

any initiative on resettlement by the UK. Their initial

reaction to our latest decision has been favourable: while

not committing themselves in any way, they have hinted that

there i s enough flexibility in their overall refugee

programme to enable them now to increase the proportion of

refugees which they accept from Hong Kong. In the light of

this response, it would be very useful if the PUS could

the opportunity

approach made by

take

Canberra.

to

reinforce

the

CONFIDENTIAL