TEN years ago the Albury-Wodonga community came together to help a group of Kosovo refugees.
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The Halimi family, pictured left, arrived in Australia in 1999 after escaping their war ravaged country and spending weeks in a Macedonian refugee camp.
Despite initially no English, no money and no contacts in Australia, they settled in Wodonga after leaving the Bandiana safe haven.
In February 2005, the family learned they had failed to gain official refugee status and would be sent back to Kosovo if an appeal to Immigration Minister Senator Amanda Vanstone failed.
A public campaign saw thousands of people sign letters in support of the Halimis being allowed to remain in Australia.
“This family is an asset to our community, as a part of rural Victoria in which they live,” the letters said.
The Border community rejoiced in July that year when Senator Vanstone used her powers of discretion to grant the Halimi family permanent residency.
