During 1998, there were 7,980 applications from Federal Republic of Yugoslavia citizens, of whom most were Kosovo Albanians.
[5] The number of asylum applications received from Kosovo (excluding dependants) was 140 in 1996, 600 in 1997, 4,580 in 1998 and 9,850 in 1999.
[6] In addition to asylum seekers, 4,346 refugees were evacuated to the UK between 25 April and 25 June 1999 as agreed with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and were either granted family reunification rights, if they had family members who had been through the asylum process, or were given leave to remain in the UK for one year.
[6] The first request from the UNHCR was received by the Home Office on 20 April and was agreed within an hour.
The first plane of refugees from Kosovo arrived in the UK at Leeds Bradford Airport on Sunday 25 April.