KABUL (SW) – Officials from Afghanistan and Pakistan have met to facilitate the repatriation of the refugees.
Afghan officials from the Spinboldak pass and Pakistan’s border administration officials met and negotiated to facilitate the refugees’ return to the country.
The meeting was held on Tuesday, with the presence of Ahmad Ehsan, the Commissioner of Spinboldak Pass and Omar Jabbar, the Chaman border Commander, while the deadline for the return of Afghan refugees from Pakistan is reaching to its end.
During the meeting, Ahmad Ehsan, the Commissioner of the Spinboldak Pass called on Pakistani officials to allow refugees who are willing to return to Afghanistan, cross the border without any obstacle.
He said: “It was negotiated that the problems at the border should be solved, and the refugees should not be waited at the border; upon their return, they should be given the opportunity to return directly and should not be kept in the camps.”
On the other hand, Walijan Badam, head of Kandahar’s refugees and returnees, says that daily 190 families return to Afghanistan from the Spinboldak Pass.
He adds: “In a year, 12,000 Afghan refugees have returned through the Spinboldak Pass and about 190 families return to the country through Spinboldak daily.”
Meanwhile, a number of families who have returned from Pakistan, say that they are dealing with the bad economic situation. They are seeking help from the government.
Khalil, a resident of Nangarhar, who returned from Pakistan two months ago, says: “We lived in Karachi city for about six years, I was a chef; we are 10 members in the family, here is neither a place to live nor a job to do, we are living in a rental house and we have a lot of problems. The government must provide us jobs.”
According to Pakistani media, 52,000 Afghan refugees have returned to Afghanistan during current month. Earlier, Pakistan’s Interior Affairs Minister, had declared that illegal refugees must leave this country by the end of October this year.
ENDS
