Refugees not spies, says Mr Malcolm

Press, 28 August 1979, Page 2

Refugees not spies, says Mr Malcolm

PA Wellington i The Under-Secretary of I immigration (Mr Malcolm)) does not believe Indo-) (Chinese refugees coming to. New Zealand include spies) planted by the Vietnamese. Government. He was commenting on a! news report from Australia which quoted a spokesman for the Minister of Immigration and Ethnic Affairs (Mr MacKellar) as saying Australian officials were investigating refugees for possible) spies. “1 have no reason to Sus-) pect that any refugees in New' Zealand are spies," said Mr) .Malcolm. “We regard these; i people as being in dire) I straits and we see it as our) I job to help them.” Mr Malcolm said he did not know whether the political backgrounds of refugees I were examined before they I were allowed into New’ Zea-

iland. That would be a matter for the Security Intelligence I Service. The allegations originated! :in the “Chicago Tribune’’! which quoted refugees and! 'European and American intelligence sources as saying | infiltrators had been aboard II almost every boat that had i left Vietnam in the last six i months. The S.I.S. would not com- • ment yesterday on whether ■ the refugees were being in- • vestigated. • The director of the S.I.S. i (Mr P. Molineaux) said in ! Wellington that he could (only say that it was the role ■) of the service to seek out any : | evidence where there was a Ji security risk. ■! New Zealand immigration authorities also refused to I say whether similar action • was taking place. > The Director of Immigra- • tion (Mr L. Cross) said he had ■ no comment.