KABUL (SW): Maya Ameratunga, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) representative has stressed that considering the huge wave of refugees returning back to Afghanistan, the United Nations should assist Afghanistan in its effort to successfully resettle its returning immigrants.
This was mentioned at the three-day 19th conference on Afghan refugees held here from 16 till 18 August in Kabul. This trilateral conference hosted representatives from Afghanistan, Iran and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
During this conference, Sayed Hussein Alemi Balkhi, Minister for Refugees and Repatriation mentioned that last year 16,995 Afghan refugees returned to Afghanistan, and that number has gone to 45 thousand refugees in the first six month of the current year.
According to the Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation (MoRR), the number of legal immigrants returning from Iran has more than tripled in comparison to last year.
“ 45,132 thousand refugees have returned back to Afghanistan in the current year and this number is expected to reach up to 54,870 thousand by the end of December fuelling the speculation that by the end of this year, the number of legal refugees repatriation might reach to 100,500”
Speaking on the occasion, Maya Ameratunga termed the ongoing year important for UNHCR in a sense that the executive committee has been planning to bring up the issue of returning Afghan refugees in its discussion that is set to take place in Geneva in order to work out solutions for it.
Meanwhile, Ahmad Mohammadi, the General Director of Foreign Nationals and Refugees for the Iranian Ministry of Interior, welcomed the Afghan immigrants’ voluntary departure. He said currently over four million Afghan refugees live in Iran.
He claimed 97 percent of Afghan refugees live in big cities alongside Iranian citizens and enjoy the same privileges like education, healthcare and job opportunities.
ENDS