MIGRATION POLICY REVISED

Evening Star, Issue 25173, 12 May 1944, Page 2

MIGRATION POLICY REVISED

WAIN NEEDS HER YOUNG PEBFLE BIG POST-WAR PROGRAMME (N.Z.P.A. Special Correspondent.) (Rec. noon.) LONDON, May 11. The British Government, is understood to have reviewed its policy _ towards emigration from the United Kino-dam after the war since it made an approach to the dominion Governments over a year ago. Britain is now'planning for a policy of full employment after the -war to regain her position as one of the world's leading industrial and commercial countries, and will not encourage schemes involving the departure of numbers of young people. It is borne, in mind that the United Kingdom faces a fall in population during the coming years, and will, therefore, be unable to afford the loss of its greatest asset—youth and skilled labour By good conditions of work, pay hours, and leisure, Britain will do its best to make the country as attractive as possible to keep the younger generation at home. This does not mean Britain will place an official ban on the movement from Britain of people with sufficient means, but emigration as a national subsidised policy is regarded as unlE&ely. This altered view may cause disappointment, particularly in Australia and Canada, who have repeatedly expressed official hopes that their populations will be enlarged by the arrival of people from' the United Kingdom, and it remains to be seen whether the dominions' Prime Ministers will be able to influence the British Government in favour of some modified scheme %f assisted migration. New Zealand's declared policy of rehabilitating her men and women in the forces before considering migration policies is well understood and appreciated here, and it is believed that both the British and New Zealand Governments will be sympathetic to the wishes of anv British troops who fought alongside the New Zealanders to emigrate to New Zealand.