NOTES ON CABINET AGENDUM NO.1322-AUSTRALIAN PARTICIPATION IN THE
INTERNATIONAL REFUGEE ORGANIZATION

Purpose of Agendum
This Agendum [1] recommends that a Sub-Committee of Cabinet
consisting of the Treasurer, the Minister for External Affairs and
the Minister for Immigration consider the question of Australian
participation in the I.R.O.

Implications of Participation
2. So far as the Treasury is concerned the principal consideration
is that membership of the I.R.O. may involve Australia in a
financial commitment of about A850,000 annually for several
years.

3. Australia's contribution for the first 12 months has been
estimated at 1.97% of the Administration Budget ($4.8m.) and 1.76
of the Operational Budget ($151.2M.) or about A850,000. There is
in addition a large scale resettlement budget of $5m. but
contributions to this are voluntary.

4. A large proportion of any Australian contribution would
probably be required in 'free foreign exchange'. In considering
Australia's financial contributions it must also be borne in mind
that we will have other Post-U.N.R.R.A. relief requests (see
Agendum No.695C [2]).

5. The Treasury view is that Australia should participate in
I.R.O. only if it is considered that the expenditure involved
would be fully justified on immigration or political grounds.

6. In inter-departmental discussions to date the view taken by the
Department of Immigration has been that Australia has no interest
in the I.R.O. from an immigration angle. Australia is opposed to
the principle of large scale resettlement in Australia and at the
moment can obtain more British migrants than it is able to
accommodate.

7. The Department of External Affairs on the other hand is of the
opinion that the settlement of the refugee problem in Europe and
Asia is of direct political interest to Australia. Attached to the
present agendum is a copy of a communication from the United
Kingdom requesting Australian participation in the I.R.O. [3]

Conclusion
8. The Department of Immigration has suggested that the question
be referred to a Sub-Committee of Cabinet. The Treasury has no
objections to this procedure.

9. On the other hand we would emphasize that the issue for
decision is whether the political and humanitarian arguments in
favour of Australian participation in the I.R.O. justify the
financial cost and outweigh any possible embarrassments to our
immigration policy. Perhaps Cabinet could assess these broad
issues immediately and thereby eliminate the need for a special
Sub-Committee. [4]

P.S. You will recall that Commander Jackson [5] discussed this
matter with you.