KABUL (SW) – Seven years ago, Gulali, along with five members of her family, immigrated to Iran via the Nimroz border.
After six months of stay in Iran, she decided to travel to Turkey to eventually make it to Europe, but her one-and-a-half-year-old daughter died during the journey, and she returned to Afghanistan heart-broken.
In conversation with Salam Watandar, Gulali recalled moments when her young daughter fell in the deep water, and she and her companions failed to do anything to save her. “The true peace lies in the home country, but I realized it too late,” said Galali.
Gulali is not the only person to have lost her loved one in the journey of illegal and irregular migration.
Thousands of families take irregular migration routes and decide to travel on them on yearly basis, but they encounter grim problems in host countries making them regret. Large numbers of these families are either settled in host countries in extreme conditions or are forced to return to Afghanistan.
Mirwais Arab, head of the Nimroz Department of Refugees and Returnees, said there has been an increase in the number of returnees. According to him, 4330 families have returned to Nimroz since the beginning of the year.
According to experts, the Afghan government should adopt a systematic strategy to prevent irregular migration.
Sayed Mohammad Faqiri, a local university lecturer, said that irregular migration disrupts families and has a severe impact on the whole society.
Lack of job opportunities, poverty and insecurity are the main causes of irregular migration. While these challenges still persist in Afghanistan, and the space for poor people to live in is getting tighter every day, most returning migrants are happy to be back.
Seven years after her migration, Gulalai is still sad about losing her child. She says her life is now improving and she will never think about irregular migration again.
Provinces in the western parts of Afghanistan, including Nimroz, bordering Iran, have witnessed increase in returns of migrants over the past few years. Most of the migrants seeking to travel to Turkey and onwards to Europe pass through here. And, are often forced to return by the Iranian police.
Say no to irregular migration!
ENDS
