Kosovars granted temporary safe haven

It was also, at least initially, unwilling to assist any of the vast number of displaced people.

Cabinet documents for 1998 and 1999 - released by the National Archives of Australia - show the government justified its reluctance to contribute police or soldiers to a UN force on grounds of existing and prospective commitments in Bougainville, East Timor and elsewhere.

It did agree to $2 million for international aid efforts, later lifted to $6 million.

However its reluctance to directly aid any of the displaced people from Kosovo withered under public pressure and on April 6, 1998, it agreed to establish a scheme to grant temporary safe haven for three months to up to 4000 Kosovars.

The government appeared concerned that once here, they would not want to leave.

The cabinet document noted the scheme was to be based on a special new category with legislation to prevent entrants from applying to change their status.

The government also agreed that under law "there be no presumption of entitlement to financial support under the scheme other than the provision by the Commonwealth of food, lodging, basic health care and the basic necessities of life."

The legislation barred Kosovars from applying for permanent residency or social security benefits.

"The cabinet noted that the provision of a temporary safe haven ensures that Australian policy continues to support the NATO objective of allowing the safe return of displaced people to Kosovo and is consistent with similar provisions of safe havens made by other countries," the cabinet decision said.

The Kosovo conflict ran from February 1998 to June 1999 and was the final major act in the vicious war which led to the dissolution of the former Yugoslavia.

It pitted the Kosovo Liberation Army against forces of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, then just Serbia and Montenegro, and produced a major humanitarian crisis as Kosovar Albanians were expelled.

NATO intervened with a campaign of bombing which began on March 24, 1999 and ran to June 11, 1999. Yugoslavia finally accepted that Russia would not come to its aid and agreed to withdraw from Kosovo, making way for a peacekeeping force.

Kosovo declared independence in 2008.

The first group of Kosovars granted temporary refuge arrived in Sydney on May 7, 1999 where they were greeted by the prime minister, John Howard.

All the Kosovars were housed on eight disused defence force bases.

Although initially reluctant to allow any of them to work, the government lifted that restriction, granting limited work rights of up to 20 hours per week.

Despite the government's insistence on it being a temporary stay, 81 challenges went to the High Court.

In April 2000, the court ruled in favour of the government and most of the Kosovars left. Those who remained were taken to the Port Hedland detention centre.

In May 2000, the government relented and then immigration minister Philip Ruddock allowed 121 people to apply for permanent residence.

As the Balkans war wound down, the government had one outstanding issue - two Australian CARE aid workers Stephen Pratt and Peter Wallace jailed in Yugoslavia on allegations of spying.

A minute of the national security committee of cabinet of April 19, 1999 noted the government's efforts to secure their release and that foreign minister Alexander Downer had appointed former prime minister Malcolm Fraser as special envoy to work for their early freedom.

Following international pressure both were granted a presidential pardon and released on September 2, 1999.

Australian Associated Press