TNAG-2180-FCO40-3117-Hong-Kong-nationality-international-support-1990 — Page 122

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CONFIDENTIAL

182)

157546

MDHIAN 7422

CONFIDENTIAL

FM CANBERRA

TO DESKBY 05090OZ FCO

TELNO 337

OF 05050OZ APRIL 90

MCD 340/1 нко

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

02 MAY 1990

DESK OFFICER

REGISTRY

INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG, UKREP JLG HONGKONG, BATC HONG KONG INFOR ROUTINE PEKING

184

MY TELNO 333: INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT FOR HONG KONG: AUSTRALIA

SUMMARY

1. NO SHIFT IN AUSTRALIAN POSITION.

DETAIL

2. IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT TOLD US THIS MORNING THAT THEY WERE NOT PREPARED TO MOVE FROM THEIR PREFERRED WORDING FOR THE THIRD SENTENCE OF THE TEXT IN PARA 1 OF TUR EXCEPT FOR A WILLINGNESS TO DELETE THE WORD ''SOON'T SO THAT THE SENTENCE COULD READ

LIVE OUTSIDE AUSTRALIA AFTER THE (OR THEIR) FIRST THREE YEARS WITHOUT NECESSARILY...''.

3. THE AUSTRALIANS ARGUE THAT THEIR PREFERRED FORMULATION MORE ACCURATELY REFLECTS AUSTRALIAN MIGRATION LEGISLATION AND THAT THE THREE CONCESSIONAL CATEGORIES (PARA 3 OF TUR) ARE COVERED BY THE SECOND SENTENCE OF THE TEXT.

COMMENT

4. AS FORESHADOWED IN TUR THE AUSTRALIANS HAVE NOT BEEN PREPARED TO MOVE AS FAR AS WE WOULD HAVE LIKED. THEY HAVE SAFEGUARDED THEIR POSITION THAT NO IMPLICATION SHOULD BE GIVEN THAT DEFERMENT OF RESIDENCE IS POSSIBLE. HOWEVER, THE AUSTRALIANS HAVE RECOGNISED OUR REQUIREMENT FOR A PUBLIC LINE ON THIS ISSUE AND HAVE AGREED TO LANGUAGE WHICH IS NOT ENTIRELY UNHELPFUL IN THAT THE SECOND SENTENCE DOES NOT REFER EXPLICITLY TO NEW ''MIGRANTS'' (BUT INSTEAD SIMPLY TO THOSE GRANTED MIGRANT STATUS'').

5. GRATEFUL TO KNOW THE PUBLIC LINE YOU PROPOSE TO TAKE AND WHETHER THIS WILL BE VOLUNTEERED OR ONLY DEPLOYED IN RESPONSE TO QUESTIONS. WE SHOULD LIKE TO KEEP THE AUSTRALIANS FULLY IN THE PICTURE

OVER OUR INTENTIONS.

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