TNAG-1421-FCO40-1904-Hong-Kong-Parliamentary-Sub-Committee-on-Race-Relations-and--1985 — Page 193

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DO NEW!?

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FM HOKON TO NEYOR

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INFO IMMEDIATE HKGO WASHINGTON

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RECEIVED IN REGISTHY

2 OCT 185

DESK OFFICER INDEX

PA

Aeto: Fahan

FOR DAVID ROADES FROM SIMON SIT. SECURITY BRANCH.

PLEASE PASS FOLLOWING TO KEN WOODHOUSE IN NEW YORK WHICH IS EXTRACT OF STATEMENT MADE BY MR HURFORD. AUSTRALIAN MINISTER FOR IMMIGRATION AND ETHNIC AFFAIRS. ANNOUNCING AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT'S DECISION TO INCREASE ITS OFFTAKE OF VIETNAMESE REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG THIS YEAR FROM 400 TO 600 AND POSSIBLY TO 300,

BEGINS

PARLIAMENTARY QUESTION - VIETNAMESE REFUGEES

FROM FILE 558/11/1

FOLLOWING IS THE TEXT.OF QUESTION WITHOUT NOTICE AND ANSWER GIVEN tGUSE OF RES TATJYES ON 47 OCTOBER 1985.

MR HAND - HAS THE MINISTER FOR IMMIGRATION AND ETHNIC AFFAIRS MOTED REPORTS OF REFUCEES FROM VIETNAM LANGUISHING FOR LONG PERIODS IN CAMPS IN PLACES SUCH AS HONG KONG AND THE PHILIPPINES? 1 FURTHER ASK HIM: IS THERE ANYTHING AUSTRALIA CAN DO TO HELP THESE PEOPLE?

MA HURFORD -AM GRATEFUL TO HONOURABLE MEMBERS FRO BOTH SIDES OF THE HOUSE. THE HONOURABLE MEMBER FOR GRAYNDLER. THE HONOURABLE MEMBER FOR DUNDAS AND OTHERS. WHO ARE TAKING A KEEN INTEREST IN THE VERY DIFFICULT REFUGEE SITUATION. PARTICULARLY IN THE BOAT CAMPS. TRADITIONALLY, WE LOOK AFTER REFUGEES IN PREFERENCE, OR PRIORITY, FROM MALAYSIA. THAILAND AND INDONESIA, HOWEVER, AS THE HONOURABLE MEMBER HAS SUGGESTED, THERE ARE PROBLEMS WITH LONG STAYERS IN THE CAMPS IN THE PHILIPPINES AND HONG KONG. THE PROBLEM OF LONG STAYERS CAUSES PARTICULAR DIFFICULTIES BECAUSE SO MANY OF THEM HAVE NOT MET OUR SELECTION STANDARDS. I BELIEVE THIS WOULD ALSO BE A BIPARTISAN APPROACH - THAT THERE ARE GOOD REASONS WHY WE SHOULD MAINTAIN OUR SELECTION STANDARDS. WE ARE NOW EXPLORING THE POSSIBILITY OF WORLD-BASED VOLUNTARY ORGANISATIONS HELPING US WITH SKILL AND LANGUAGE TRAINING IN THESE CAMPS. THERE IS A PRECEDENT FOR THIS IN THE PULAU BIDONG CAMP IN MALAYSIA WHICH THE HONOURABLE MEMBER FOR DUNDAS VISITED THE OTHER DAY. AND WHICH IS UNDER THE SUSPICES OF THE UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES. WE WANT MORE OF THAT SORT OF SKILL TRAINING. I BELIEVE THAT WHEN WE HAVE THAT SKILLS AND LANGUAGE TRAINING WE CAN DO MORE ABOUT LONG STAYERS IN THESE CAMPS.

INCIDENTALLY, OUR AUSTRALIAN RECORD IN BIPARTISAN IN RELATION TO OUR OWN REGION OF THE WORLD AND IS SECOND TO NONE. ALTHOUGH SOME EPOPLE WOULD PREFER. THAT AUSTRALIA TOOK MORE REFUGEES IN THE CURRENT YEAR. WE BELIEVE THAT OUR FIGURE OF 6,000 IS COMMENDABLE. PARTICULARLY AS WE ARE NOW PUTTING MORE EMPHASIS ON FAMILY REUNIONS. THERE IS A LIVIT TO THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WE CAN EASILY SETTLE IN THIS COUNTRY. HOWEVER. THAT FIGURE OF 6,000 WILL NOT ONLY CONTINUE TO TAKE CARE OF OUR SPECIAL RESPONSIBILITIES IN MALAYSIA. THAILAND AND INDONESIA BUT I AM HAPPY TO SAY. AFTER LOOKING AT THE HONG KONG CAMP IN PARTICULAR A WEEK AGO TODAY. WE ARE ALSO RESPONDING TO A SPECIAL REQUEST FROM THE U.K. GOVERNMENT AND THE HONG KONG AUTHORITIES TO INCREASE THE NUMBERS WE TAKE FROM THE HONG KONG CAMP. WE ARE INCREASING THAT NUMBER FROM 400 TO 600 AND WE MAY BE ABLE TO INCREASE IT FURTHER TO 200. ! REPEAT: IT WILL STILL BE WITHIN OUR OVERALL LIMIT OF 5,000. IN REGARD TO THE PHILIPPINES WE HAD ALREADY DECIDED TO INCREASE OUR NUMBERS. IT IS A MODEST NUMBER OF 350 BECAUSE WE CONSIDER THAT THE COUNTRIES WHICH HAVE THE MAIN RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE PHILIPPINES CAMPS ARE THE U.S. AND CANADA.

IN CONCLUDING, ISSUE A WORD OF CAUTION. THERE IS INCREASING EVIDENCE NOW THAT THE MORE RECENT ARRIVALS OF BOAT PEOPLES IN SOME OF THESE CAMPS, PARTICULARLY THE HONG KONG CAMP. ARE ECONOMIC RATHER THAN POLITICAL REFUGEES. THERE IS A LIMIT TO THE NUMBER OF REFUGEES WE CAN TAKE FROM ANY ONE PART OF THE WORLD IN PERPETUITY. AS I SAY. WE HAVE A RECORD SECOND TO NONE. BUT THE FEELING AMONGST THOSE WHO ARE INVOLVED WITH THE REFUGEE RESPONSIBILITY. POTH THE U.S. AND CANADA AS WELL AS AUSTRALIA. IS THAT A SCREETING PROCESS POSSIBLY WILL HAVE TO COMMENCE 13 REGARD TO PEOPLE ARRIVING IN HONG KONG FROM VIETNAM WITH A VIEW TO REPATRIATION, JUST AS THAT SCREENING PROCESS TAKES PLACE IN RECARD TO CHINESE PEOPLE ARRIVING IN HONG KONG. WE HAVE A BIG JOB TO DO IN THE AREA OF FAYILY REUNIONS OVER SUCCEEDING YEARS. AS WAS POINTED OUT BY THE HONOURABLE MEMBER FOR MELBOURNE IN MIS QUESTION, WE HAVE A BIG JOB TO DO IN TAKING THE LONC STAYERS IN THE CAMPS NOW. THEREFORE, WE MUST HAVE ANOTHER LOOK AT THE MOST RECENT ARRIVALS TO SEE WHETHER THEY SHOULD BE AMONG THOSE TO WHOM WE

GIVE PRIORITY.

I HOPE THAT WHAT THE VOLUNATRY AGENCIES DO WITH OUR HELP TO TRAIN THE LONG STAYERS - AND THIS SHOULD BE A PRIORITY FOR US - WILL FRABLE THOSE WHO WANT TO HELP FOR COMPASSIONATE REASONS TO MAKE A

BETTER EFFORT IN THAT REGARDS.

FE

YOUDE

YYYY

LVAN 2551

tamil.