The Kosovar refugees: the experience of providing temporary safe haven in Australia

In my thesis I evaluate the experience of Kosovar refugees evacuated to Australia in 1999 as part of the Howard Government’s ‘Operation Safe Haven’. I investigate the experience of the Kosovars in Australia alongside the role of the media in perpetuating the notion of “acceptability” in a broader debate about immigration. The plight of the Kosovar refugees provided much of the initial impetus for the introduction of the Howard Government’s temporary protection regime. My discussion and argument raise questions about Australian politics and refugee policy. These questions include asking why some refugees have been considered worthy of Australia’s charity and assistance, while others have not. I draw on narratives of national identity while investigating popular discourse surrounding the evacuation of Kosovar refugees to Australia.