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Historical documents

195 Department of External Affairs to Hood

Cablegram 268 CANBERRA, 18 April 1946

SECRET

Reference your 245 of 10th April paragraph 3. Refugees Committee.

[1]

Immigration authorities advise that large scale migration into
Australia is governed by the housing problem, rehabilitation of
the services and shipping shortage which may continue for two or
three years.

2. Seven thousand refugees from Nazi oppression were admitted in
the two years before the war and landing permits have been issued
for over 4,000 of their relatives for whom they have guaranteed
maintenance. Very few of these will obtain transport before 1947.

3. Australia's general immigration policy is indicated in
Ministerial statement on Migration Policy of 2nd August. [2]

1 See Document 144. Cablegram 245 reported establishment of the
committee's timetable and priorities, and a proposal for sub-
committees, including one to examine possibilities of
resettlement.

2 In the House of Representatives on 2 August 1945, Calwell had
said that the Pacific War had demonstrated Australia's need for
population, that an annual ceiling of Some 70 000 was dictated by
the need to provide employment, housing and other amenities
necessary to ensure efficient absorption of migrants, and that it
would be perhaps two years before organised migration could be
resumed on a large scale.


[AA:A1838/2, 861/1, i]
Last Updated: 11 September 2013
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