Repatriation of Afghan migrants begins from Pakistan: Government

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AT-KABUL: The government has said that the process of repatriating Afghan migrants from Pakistan has begun. Ministry of refugees and repatriation said on Saturday that the process began on March 1st and since then a few families have returned to Afghanistan.

Pakistan government asked Afghan migrants in December to leave the country, but it accepted Afghan government’s request for a three-month delay because of the cold winter here.

“Our compatriots who had migration cards from the United Nations in Pakistan, are preparing to return home,” said Hafizullah Miakhel, an official at the ministry of refugees and repatriates.

He added that the government with the cooperation of the international organizations plans to provide facilities for 700,000 repatriates each year.

Miakhel also said that 11,000 people returned home from Pakistan and Iran during the past week.

Some two million Afghans are living in Pakistan from whom, 1.4 million have been registered by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

President Ashraf Ghani had earlier welcomed the repatriation of refugees, saying they would help Afghanistan get complete.

Six million Afghans are living in different countries as refugees.

Nader Baloch, a member of senate said that the government was not able to provide facilities for the repatriates, asking for immediate assistance from the world community and international organizations.

2.3 million refugees have returned home since 2014 mostly from Pakistan and Iran.