VIC: Ruddock to meet Victorian Albanian leaders

AAP General News (Australia)
04-07-1999
VIC: Ruddock to meet Victorian Albanian leaders

MELBOURNE, April 7 AAP - Immigration Minister Phillip Ruddock will meet local Albanian
community leaders in Melbourne this afternoon to discuss Australia's intake of Kosovo
refugees.

Prime Minister John Howard announced yesterday that Australia would accept 4,000 temporary
refugees from Kosovo.

The announcement came just hours after Mr Ruddock with the support of Foreign Minister
Alexander Downer flatly rejected any suggestion Australia should accept temporary refugees.

Community spokesman Eric Lloga told ABC radio today he was pleased the Howard government
had changed its mind, although he would like to more refugees to be accepted.

"The point is we are saying we would have liked to have seen 20,000 maybe even to 30,000
people," Mr Lloga told the ABC.

"Nevertheless, we are grateful that Australia at least have taken this step, and at least
4,000 people will find that they are alive and safe and can go home, we hope, in the not too
distant future."

AAP jlw/maur

KEYWORD: KOSOVO RUDDOCK

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