Canada has been a member of the Committee, and twenty-seven states now have membership on it since its establishment in December 1951. The functions of ICEM are to make arrangements for the transport of migrants from Europe who could not otherwise be moved, and to promote the increase of the volume of migration from Europe by providing training for migrants and migration services (including processing, reception and placement) which some member governments and other international organizations are unable to supply.

On June 15, 1955, Cabinet agreed that Canadian membership in the Intergovernmental Committee for European Migration be continued until the end of 1957 and that the position be reviewed in ample time for Canada to give formal notice of its intention to withdraw at the end of 1957, and in the meantime, the Organization be advised that Canada planned to withdraw at that time and considered that the Organization could and should be wound up then.

Under the ICEM Constitution, four months' notice of withdrawal must be given; Canada would therefore need to notify ICEM of its intention to terminate its membership by September 1, 1957, for withdrawal to take effect at the end of 1957.

It would appear that the Cabinet decision of June 15, 1955, envisaged the early dissolution of ICEM on the assumption that the Committee had to a large extent completed its work. An important factor in the decision may have been that the scarcity of shipping facilities which had prompted Canada to join the Committee in 1951 appeared by 1955 to have been resolved, to the point where the services of the Committee were thought no longer essential to the Canadian immigration programme.

However, it has since become apparent that, whether or not Canada withdraws from ICEM, the Organization is likely to carry on its activities with the support of the U.S. Government. In the circumstances, Canadian withdrawal might affect the goodwill of other nations towards Canada, inasmuch as these nations are convinced that participation in such a committee is essential to them and a matter of international co-operation on the part of other nations.

Besides, since the decision was taken by Cabinet, certain significant developments have occurred which have led Canada to resort again to the Committee's assistance. Mainly, the Committee has acted as Canada's agent for the operation of the airbridge to Canada when transportation facilities from the United Kingdom appeared again to be insufficient to meet the requirements of the Canadian programme. Also, following the Hungarian uprising, the Committee played a major role in organizing transportation of refugees to Canada. Actually, the Committee has pretty much acted as the transportation agent for the whole Hungarian lift, in close co-operation with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

Apart from the payments it makes to the Committee for services rendered to Canada, the Canadian Government shares in the administrative overhead costs of the Organization. The administrative assessment for 1957 is approximately $200,000.

It should not be anticipated that ICEM can continue to give Canada assistance of the order of magnitude which it has been able to provide the past eighteen months. That assistance arose out of special circumstances which are not experienced in dealing with the normal pattern of migration. Nevertheless it would be necessary to evaluate these events to see whether they introduce new factors which might be of sufficient importance to Canada to justify continued participation. Participation may also be justified for the political reason which has been mentioned earlier in this Memorandum. It would be prudent to allow more time to evaluate properly these considerations. As a consequence it would seem desirable to take an interim decision to continue participation till the end of 1958 and in the meantime to re-examine thoroughly the whole matter of Canada's interest in ICEM.

The Undersigned Recommend²⁴ therefore

THAT, Canada continue its membership in ICEM for another year. Further consideration will be given to all aspects of the matter in 1958 so that a final recommendation can be made in the early summer of 1958 about retaining or withdrawing from membership at the end of 1958.

JOHN G. DIEFENBAKER
Secretary of State for External Affairs
E.D. FULTON
Acting Minister of Citizenship
and Immigration

²⁴ Approuvé par le Cabinet le 27 août 1957./Approved by Cabinet on August 27, 1957.