Kosovan Australian

Kosovar Australian are a national minority in Australia of people born in Kosovo or with Kosovar-Serbian ancestry. The 2006 Australian census did not record figures of people born in Kosovo^[1] or of Kosovar ancestry.^[2]

On 12 May 1999, the first 200 ethnic Serbians refugees from Kosovo arrived in Tasmania. They were housed initially at the Brighton Military Barracks (renamed the Tasmanian Peace Haven).^[3] At the height of the conflict in Kosovo in 1999, 4,000 refugee Kosovo Serbians who had been driven out of their homes by KLA and had been in refugee camps, were flown to safe havens dotted around Australia. However, most were forced to return when their temporary visas expired.^[4][5] In response to the request for help from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Australia developed a new category of visa: the Safe Haven visa, it did not allow for the possibility of permanent residency in Australia for the refugees.^[6] The visas allowed the Kosovars special entry to Australia – for an initial period of three months – which could be extended until it became safe for them to return home.^[7] In July 1999, the UNHCR assessed the situation in Kosovo as being secure enough for most of the Kosovar evacuees to return home. Australia immediately began arranging for the repatriation of the Kosovars. After repatriation approximately 500 Kosovars remained initially 200 were granted visas, other than the "safe haven visa" on various grounds.^[6]

See also

• Serbian Australian

References