KHYBER
188 Afghan families have willingly returned to their country since March 2022, when the repatriation began via Torkham border, UNHCR and Afghan Commissionerate officials informed.
As per UNHCR record currently over 1.4 million registered Afghan refugees in Pakistan in addition with some 0.8 million Afghan Citizens Cardholders (ACC) and an estimated 0.5million undocumented Afghanis.
UNHCR works closely with the authorities to help refugees’ access to health, education including their voluntary repatriation to their country with respect and dignity.
As per UNHCR, it only deals with ACC and the rest of 0.6 million Afghan refugees are jointly tackled by the International Organization for Migration (IM) Afghan Commissionrate with collaboration of NADRA.
A United Nation High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) official at Torkham center said that the willingly repatriation has started in the month of March, 2022 through Torkham with the assistance of the UNHCR and the organization only support Proof of Registration(PoR) Cardholders who are estimated to be 0.8 Afghanis.
He added that UNHCR extends financial support of granting a cash of 279 dollars per individual, provides in Kabul or Jalalabad encashment centers when refugees arrive in Afghanistan.
Full assistance in border crossing for example no border crossing charges like NLC scanner charges, custom charges etc from UNHCR assisted Afghan returnee’s families to ensure their return with respect and dignity, the official said.
Hamidullah, an Afghan Commission rate official in Peshawar said that so far they have facilitated 70 Afghan families to move back to their native country, Afghanistan.
These repatriated families included Tazkira holders and Afghanis residing in Pakistan without any record or registration, he added.
He added that the highup has specially sought permission from the government to let the Afghanis to go back.
It is worth mentioning here that Pakistan has an over 40 years long history of hosting refugees and currently ranks as the third largest refugee hosting country globally.
