Fraser Cabinet Files on Refugees and Migration

8/9/2019 Fraser Cabinet Files on Refugees and Migration

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174 1979 CABINET RECORDS SELECTED DOCUMENTS

Refugees and migration

The accelerating exodus of refugees from Indo-China became a major policy issue for theGovernment. By July departures from Vietnam were running at 50,000 per month, whilemany Kampucheans were trying to enter Thailand. Only 2,000 refugees had actuallymanaged to reach Australia by boat since 1975, but it was feared that ASEAN countrieswould start turning boats away and they would continue to Australia. Cabinet was warnedthat if the refugee problem got out of control it would impose very serious strains on theunity and character of Australian society. It could also cause a head-on collision betweendomestic public opinion and Australias foreign policy interests and remain a dominantpolitical issue for the remainder of the century. With the possibility of at least a million morepeople leaving Vietnam the crisis was far beyond solution by resettlement alone. The onlyrealistic option was to apply intense international pressure on Vietnam to stop actively

encouraging the departure of people that the regime disliked.

Cabinet agreed to increase Australias Indo-Chinese refugee intake to 14,400 for 197980, inpart because to do any less might turn international opinion against us. Discreet contingencyplanning would be undertaken to handle an influx of direct refugee arrivals, including usingthe Darwin quarantine station as a holding centre (Memorandum 380; also Submission 3327and Decision 9149, not printed here). Cabinet had already agreed on 7 June to the drafting oflegislation to allow the prosecution of the owners and crews of boats bringing refugees intoAustralian waters (Submission 3200; Decision 8905, not printed here). .

In anticipation of refugee issues being raised at the Commonwealth Heads of GovernmentMeeting in Lusaka, Cabinet endorsed a confidential statement of Australias policy. Thestatement argued that Australia had to strike a difficult balance between humanitarian

obligations and her capacity to absorb refugees. This was complicated by the erroneous viewthat Australia was a country of limitless space and potential and the fact that some refugeeslacked the personal characteristics and qualifications expected of other migrants. The bestsolution to the refugee problem was to address the problems in countries of origin that weredriving people to become refugees, although this was far from easy (Submission 3311; alsoDecision 9157(FAD), not printed here).

The refugee issue influenced migration policy generally. Cabinet decided on 20 August tomaintain its migration target of a net annual gain of 70,000 migrants. Immigration MinisterMichael MacKellar told Cabinet that there were compelling reasons to encourage populationgrowth, despite economic constraints. The birth rate had fallen steadily since 1971 and wasnow below replacement level. Overseas experience suggested that measures to increase

fertility were unlikely to succeed. There would be continued pressure for Australia to acceptmore refugees, particularly from Indo-China and Eastern Europe, and the significant publicdisquiet about the scale of refugee migration could be borne more easily if it was seen to bebalanced by a substantial migration from traditional sources (Submission 3396; alsoDecision 9714, not printed here).

Selected documents

Memorandum 380, Indo-Chinese refugees 175

Submission 3200, Legislation against unauthorised boat arrivals 189

Submission 3311, Refugee issues for CHOGM 196

Submission 3396, Immigration Program 197879 and following program for 210next triennium


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Memorandum 380, Indo-Chinese refugees

[A12390, 380]



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Memorandum 380 cont.



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Submission 3200, Legislation against unauthorised boat arrivals

[A12909, 3200]



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Submission 3200 cont.



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Submission 3311, Refugee issues for CHOGM

[A12909, 3311]



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Submission 3396, Immigration program 197879 and following program for nexttriennium

[A12909, 3396



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Documents

Fraser Cabinet Files on Refugees and Migration