Just as they did when they left Kosovo, ethnic Albanian refugees have taken aid agencies by surprise and are making a massive and swift exodus home.
Official United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) figures show that more than 100,000 have left Albania. Roughly one-fifth of the refugee population that has built up in the country over three months has left in the two weeks since the peace deal was signed.
When peace was made on June 9th, NATO sought a 30-day period for troop deployment and mine clearance before any official support for repatriation began. But the immediate, spontaneous rush of Kosovars back to Kosovo caused UNHCR to bring its repatriation plan forward to July 1st.
To many aid agencies this looks to be a little tardy. "I suspect that there will be few refugees left in the country at that stage," Mr Richard Dixon, Tirana co-ordinator of Concern, said. "While it's understandable the UNHCR wants to ensure safety, fixing the date then is not a practical response to what's happening on the ground."
It was always obvious to aid agencies that those just inside the Albanian border were going to return as quickly as possible. Mr Dixon said. "First light at 4 a.m. they're on the roads. The population in the area has halved over the last week."
But the Albanian government also estimates that tens of thousands are on the move throughout the country, all making their way to the border town of Kukes.
Knowing that the argument for staying has been lost, the UN agencies and others are now doing what they can to help them home. A stop-off point has been set up at the border where departing families can get a month's supply of food, water and other essential items, such as blankets and soap.
The Albanian government, which has been involved in busing refugees back home, has introduced a massive public awareness campaign, in conjunction with UNICEF, about mines and boobytraps. Posters have been attached to trees and leaflets distributed in the camps.
Despite this 13 deaths were recorded and 32 returning refugees were wounded before yesterday's booby-trap killed two British soldiers and two civilians.
In response to the informal repatriation now in full swing, leading aid agencies have been setting up in Kosovo itself as quickly as possible. Along with the UN agencies, Medecins Sans Frontieres and others who have gone in, Concern and Goal hope to be operating there by the end of this week.