MR. FAIRBAIRN,Â· MINISTER FOR NATIONALÂ· DEVELOPMENT,

OPENS CANBERRA CONFERENCE. '

The twentieth century has been described as the *  atomic age'

the 'jet a g e 1  and the 1  space age'. It could also justifiably be called

the 'refugee age'.

The Minister for National Development, Mr. Fairbairn, eaid

this today when opening a two-day conference of the Refugee and

Migrant Service Commission of the Australian Council of Overseas Aid

at the Australian National University, in Canberra.

The newly-formed Council will provide a forum for the

exchange of opinions and information among the various voluntary

agencies in Australia concerned with the welfare of refugees and

migrants. Â·

Mr. Fairbadra said that, because of two great wars, the

present age had probably seen the greatest movement of refugees in

history.

Australia had never shirked her responsibility in giving

aid to refugees, continued Mr. Fairbairn, and had led the world in

accepting refugees for resettlement.

Forty-one per cent, of the assisted foreign migrants

Australia had settled in the last 20 years had been refugees.

He continued; 'But I think we should recognise clearly in

seeking solutions to the refugee problem, that overseas migration

is by no means a panacea.

'It may help a great deal in the permanent resettlement of

refugees but it is not the only solution, and not always necessarily

the best. This fact will need to become more widely accepted, both

nationally and internationally, before we can make greater.progress'.

The Rev. A.C. Prior, Chairman of Australian Baptist World :

Relief, said that during 1965 the United Nations High Commission

for Refugees, had been concerned with three million refugees in

various parts of the world, including Africa, Asia, Europe, North

and South America and Australia, at the end of 1965Â·

'There are one million people officially recognised as

refugees in South Vietnam', said Mr. Prior.

Ã¢ÂÂ¢  A programme of relief was already under way in South

Vietnam organised by various voluntary bodies, but they desperately Ã¢ÂÂ

needed funds and volunteers. .

'This would seem to be a particularly appropriate field for

Australians to offer aid and to work in,'  he said. '

Other topics to be discussed at the conference include the '

international protection of refugees, legal problems of refugees

and migrants in Australia, and welfare problems among migrants

resettled in Australia.

Department of Immigration,

CANBERRA. A.C.T.

Monday February 21, 1966

