TNAG-1793-FCO40-2553-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-repatriation--including-Opera-1988 — Page 248

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116300

MDLIAN 3763

BE SEEN IN THE CONTEXT OF AUSTRALIA'S OWN CURRENT IMMIGRATION

DEBATE. THERE WAS PLENTY OF SCOPE FOR CRITICISM OF THE UK. ALL DEPENDED ON THE VIETNAMESE REACTION, THE EFFICIENCY OF THE SCREENING, THE SAFEGUARDS EMPLOYED TO PROTECT GENUINE REFUGEES, AND WHETHER THE DETERRENCE MESSAGE GOT THROUGH. HE WONDERED WHETHER REPATRIATION WOULD WORK. HE NOTED THAT THE BUILD-UP OF REFUGEE ARRIVALS IN HONG KONG RECENTLY MIGHT HAVE BEEN LINKED TO THE EFFECTS OF THE THAI ''

'PUSH-BACK POLICY. THE

AUSTRALIANS BELIEVED THAT WORD OF THE PUSH-BACK HAD QUICKLY GONE THROUGH THE GRAPEVINE IN VIETNAME. THE REVERSE MIGHT TAKE PLACE AS A RESULT OF OUR CHANGE OF POLICY, WITH CONSEQUENCES FOR

THE WHOLE REGION.

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6. AS FAR AS PERSUADING OTHERS WAS CONCERNED (YOUR PARA L), HE NOTED THAT THEY HELD REGULAR DISCUSSIONS WITH ASEAN COUNTRIES ON, INTER ALIA, REFUGEE MATTERS: OUR NEW POLICY WOULD NO DOUBT COME UP IN THAT CONTEXT. HE WOULD NOT BE DRAWN ON WHETHER AUSTRALIA WOULD HELP IN A MAJOR EFFORT TO REDUCE THE NUMBERS OF REFUGEES ALREADY IN HONG KONG, BUT NOTED THAT IT HAD A GOOD

TRACK RECORD.

COMMENT

7. BROWN CLEARLY SAW OUR APPROACH AS A PRELUDE TO A FORMAL REQUEST

FROM US FOR AUSTRALIA TO INCREASE ITS INTAKE OF VIETNAMESE REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG. IRONICALLY THE CURRENT DEBATE, AND LIKELY COURSE OF FUTURE AUSTRALIAN POLICY IS ABOUT INCREASING

,

THE INTAKE OF SKILLED AND BUSINESS IMMIGRANTS AND A REDUCTION IN

FAMILY REUNION IMMIGRANTS. UNTIL THIS DEBATE IS SETTLED

(AND PERHAPS EVEN AFTERWARDS), AUSTRALIA IS UNLIKELY TO INCREASE ITS INTAKE FROM HONG KONG EXCEPT MARGINALLY. THEY WILL HOWEVER

GIVE A FAIR WIND IN SOUTH EAST ASIA TO OUR POLICY.

COLES

YYYY

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