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THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT, RECOGNISING THE NEED OF THE HONG KONG AUTHORITIES TO ACHIEVE A DIMINUTION OF UNCONTROLLED ARRIVALS OF PEOPLE WITHOUT LEGITIMATE REFUGEE CLAIMS, SUPPORTS THE IMPLEMENTATION OF A SCREENING PROCESS FROM 16 JUNE UNDER UNHCR GUIDELINES WHICH WILL DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN THOSE WHO MAY BE ACCORDED REFUGEE STATUS AND THOSE WHO ARE NOT
AUSTRALIA WELCOMES HONG KONG'S RETENTION OF MECHANISMS TO IDENTIFY GENUINE REFUGEES AND IMPLEMENTATION OF POLICIES OF DEALING HUMANELY WITH THOSE WHO DO NOT SATISFY REFUGEE CRITERIA.
AUSTRALIA RECOGNISES THE HUMANITARIAN DIMENSIONS OF WHAT IS A COMPLEX PROBLEM AND SUPPORTS WORKING TOWARDS THE PROPOSED REPATRIATION UNDER APPROPRIATE CONDITIONS TO VIETNAM OF THOSE ARRIVALS WHO DO NOT MEET REFUGEE CRITERIA
THE SCREENING OF VIETNAMESE ARRIVALS IN HONG KONG AND THE REPATRIATION TO VIETNAM OF THOSE SCREENED OUT HAVE BLEN POLICIES THAT AUSTRALIA HAS ADVOCATED IN APPROPRIATE FORUMS OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS.
AUSTRALIA HAS A RECORD SECOND TO NONE IN ITS RESETTLEMENT OF PEOPLE FROM INDO-CHINA, AND SINCE 1975 HAS TAKEN IN A TOTAL OF 110,000 OF WHOM 6,000 HAVE COME FROM HONG KONG ALONE UNDER OUR REFUGEE AND SPECIAL HUMANITARIAN PROGRAM. IT WILL CONTINUE TO ACCEPT REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG. HOWEVER, THE AUSTRALIAN ASSESSMENT IS THAT THE PROSPECT OF RESETTLEMENT IN THE WEST HAS BEEN A MAJOR REASON WHY PEOPLE CONTINUE TO LEAVE VIETNAM. ACCORDINGLY AUSTRALIA BELIEVES OTHER SOLUTIONS SUCH AS REFUGEE SCREENING, VOLUNTARY REPATRIATION, AND A GREATER UTILISATION OF THE ORDERLY DEPARTURE MECHANISMS FROM VIETNAM ALL NEED TO BE MORE ACTIVELY PURSUED, AUSTRALIA WILL CONTINUE TO WORK CLOSELY WITH ALL FIRST ASYLUM COUNTRIES TO ENSURE THAT HUMANE SOLUTIONS ARE FOUND TO THIS ONGOING PROBLEM,
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