WATCH ON MOVEMENT OF ALIENS

Southland Times, Issue 23647, 24 October 1938, Page 2

WATCH ON MOVEMENT OF ALIENS

LEGISLATIVE PROPOSALS IN AUSTRALIA SYDNEY, October 14. Legislation providing for the registration of all aliens in Australia will probably be introduced during the present parliamentary session by the Minister for the Interior, Mr McEwen. The Commonwealth proposes to use the electoral machinery to apply the registration system. Mr McEwen said that at present it was not possible for the Commonwealth to keep a strict watch on the movements of' aliens once they arrived in Australia. The Federal authorities had to rely on the undertakings given by aliens that they intended to engage in a certain occupation, at a certain place. If complaints were received that aliens were not carrying out such undertakings the Commonwealth took up the matter with the consular representative of the country from which the alien came to Australia. At present no permits were issued for aliens to go to the .canefields, where the labour market was flooded. Mr McEwen added that officers of his department had made a systematic examination of the alien population in the principal industries and areas where there was an aggregation of aliens. Officers of the Commonwealth Investigation Branch were co-operat-ing in the investigations, which had been made, and these would be continued. , . . Questioned about the admission of dispossessed Czechoslovakians into Australia, Mr McEwen said that any applications from Czechoslovakians of that class would be dealt with ih the ordinary way. Provided they fulfilled thi conditions laid down for the entry of white aliens permits would be issued.