Sharon Labi, Sydney – At least 100 police officers were called in to disperse a blockade formed by East Timorese refugees refusing to leave Sydney's East Hills safe haven and return home. About 250 refugees formed a blockade at the site, protesting against their imminent return to East Timor.

A police spokesman said police in training were called in to boost officer numbers at the site where about 500 East Timorese refugees have been housed since September.

Two busloads of refugees left East Hills after the stand-off bound for Sydney airport and a flight to Dili. The police spokesman said the protest ended peacefully, with no injuries and no arrests being made.

However, one refugee, Naldo Rea, said they would continue their protests through the night with another two busloads due to leave East Hills at 4am (AEDT) tomorrow for Sydney airport. Mr Rea said they were refusing to leave East Hills because conditions in their homeland were still poor.

He said 250 refugees had created a blockade to try and prevent the two buses leaving. "Immigration officials want to kick us out of East Hills, but we don't want to go back because conditions are still poor," he told AAP. "They say they want to help the East Timorese so why do they have to kick the East Timorese out of here."

He said police were armed with shields and batons and used force to disperse the protest. A police spokesman would not comment on the use of force. Many refugees at East Hills were suffering from tuberculosis and there were distressed, orphaned children in the group, Mr Rea said.

"We have contact with relatives in East Timor who say the conditions are very bad," he said. "There is no food, no clothing, no houses. "We don't want to go back and sleep on the streets."

The situation arose three days ago when immigration officials tried to move the refugees from the East Hills safe haven, he said. "Today they tried to take us to the airport, so we've had to make a blockade outside the gates," he said. "We want to stay here another three or four months to see [what] the conditions [are like in East Timor] ."

Comment was being sought from Immigration Minister Philip Ruddock.