Daily Times

NOWSHERA: The United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) on Wednesday opened its second repatriation centre in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) at Azakhel Refugee Camp to facilitate Afghan refugees in their safe and dignified voluntary return to Afghanistan.

The centre, second after the one in Chamkani operational since July, will double the UNHCR’s capacity to facilitate the return of more than 10,000 refugees per day through the Pak-Afghan Torkham border.

The opening ceremony of the center was attended by the Ambassador of Afghanistan Dr Omar Zakhilwal, Austrian Ambassador Dr. Brigitta Blaha, Ambassador of Czech Republic Jan Fury, Ambassador of Denmark Ole Thonke, European Union Ambassador Jean-Francois Cautain, Charge d’Affaires of the Netherlands Renate Theodora, head of ECHO Pakistan Olivier Rousselle, Chief Commissioner for Afghan Refugees Dr Imran Zeb Khan, UNHCR Representative Indrika Ratawatte and a large number of representatives of the Afghan Grand Shura.

Speaking at the occasion, Chief Commissioner for Afghan Refugees Dr Imran Zeb Khan said that Pakistan and its people were proud to have hosted millions of Afghan brothers for more than 37 years. “The Government of Pakistan (GOP) will never force refugees to leave Pakistan. The repatriation remains voluntary and returns are conducted in dignity. The commitment and ownership of Afghanistan in facilitating repatriation of Afghans are of immense importance,” Dr Imran Zeb said.

Afghan Ambassador Dr Omar Zakhilwal welcomed and encouraged the return of refugees to their homeland. “The voluntary return of the refugees demonstrates their confidence in the efforts of the national unity government. There are many challenges but the returning refugees will help in the restoration of peace and rebuilding of Afghanistan,” he expressed.

Dr Zakhilwal also thanked the support of Pakistan and its people in hosting the refugees for almost four decades. “I am thankful to the Pakistani people who shared their homes and meals with their Afghan brothers. The government of Pakistan too extended its full support to refugees,” he said while highlighting that not even a single major incident or clash took place between the refugees and hosts during all these years.

UNHCR Representative in Pakistan, Indrika Ratwatte highly praised the GOP for extending the stay of Afghan refugees until end of March 2017. “It is an important decision by Pakistan and it recognizes the importance of policies to manage the legal stay of registered Afghans in Pakistan” Ratwatte maintained.

“UNHCR has doubled the grant from $200 to $400 per person in June. On average, each refugee family of seven persons gets $ 2,800 on return to Afghanistan,” she said.

The European Union Ambassador Jean Francois Cautain praised the work of UNHCR for refugees in Pakistan and across world.

The delegation also heard the concerns of the Afghan refugees’ representatives who demanded extension of assistance to those refugees who had once returned to Afghanistan some years back but had come back to Pakistan and were not entitled to get the newly increased assistance.

Refugees’ representative Baryali Miankhel also urged UNHCR to increase the number of registration centres besides increasing the minimum age limit for refugee children from five to seven years.

“Afghan industrialists and livestock owners who wish to take their machinery and cattle with them to Afghanistan should be facilitated accordingly. Also a mechanism should be found for refugees with immovable properties in Pakistan,” Miankhel said.