TNAG-2644-FCO40-3837-Emigration-from-Hong-Kong-overseas-rights-to-abode-and-passp-1992 — Page 71

6 March 1992

TCF Flear Esq MVO South Pacific Department

FCO

UNCLASSIFIED

mr Thomas

The provisional forward targer for 1993-94 (sel in 1991) is 128,000 : an olive

branch to the ethnic lobby. This also looks prong to eventual

downgrading.

200012

ART

British

High Commission Canberra

Commonwealth Avenue

Yarralumla

Canberra, ACT 2600

Telephone: (06) 270 6666 Facsimile:

(06) 273 3236

Telex: AA 62222

Year Tim,

IMMIGRATION

AUSTRALIA: IMMIGRAION

Pla 230013

FR 341/1

RECEIVED IN REGILTRY

13 MAR 1992

DESK O.CER

RECISTRY

INDEX

PA

Actul i

Summary

1.

Immigration Minister confirms cut in immigration quota

expected.

Detail

(send them

to Alice!)

2. The Minister for Immigration, Local Government and Ethnic Affairs, Mr Hand, yesterday said that the forward target for next financial year's migration quote of 118,000 would certainly be cut. Recent changes tightening the points test for would-be immigrants meant that, anyway, there were unlikely to be 118,000 successful applicants, even if the Government retained the current target. Mr Hand said he would be submitting to Cabinet on the 1992-93 migration programme in April. He commented that the fact the economy had not picked-up as quickly as had been hoped would also have to be taken into account when next year's quota was set.

3. The Prime Minister, Mr Keating, has already argued for a reduction in migration levels and the Treasurer, Mr Dawkins, has said that he believes the migration programme should be cut by half on the grounds that it worsens unemployment levels and aggravates infrastructure pressures on Sydney and Melbourne. On Mr Dawkins's latter point, Mr Hand said that DILGEA had been examining ways of preventing the concentration of migrants settling in Sydney and Melbourne, but his Department had

concluded no effective control measures were feasible.

4. On refugees, Mr Hand said that he believed Australia had now sent a strong enough message that it had a fair, but firm, refugee system to discourage large numbers of boat people. He did not anticipate any waves of boats from Cambodia or China: "I think the signals we have sent in terms of processing should be not sending any signals that we are a soft touch."

UNCLASSIFIED