UNHCR Pakistan

ISLAMABAD, 2 March (UNHCR) - The UN Refugee Agency on 7 March will resume its voluntary repatriation programme to assist Afghan refugees wishing to return from Pakistan to Afghanistan, using offices in key cities and mobile teams in refugee camps.

All returning refugees over the age of six years - regardless of the location they start from -- will pass through the one of the three Iris Verification Centres (IVC) in Hayatabad Peshawar, Alizai Kurram Agency or Baleli Quetta to ensure they have not previously gone through the centres and received assistance.

Refugees in cities other than Peshawar and Quetta will go to local centres listed below where they will receive Pre-Registration Forms (PRF) and Voluntary Repatriation Forms (VRF) before proceeding through the IVC's.

Refugees in NWFP will directly approach the Iris Verification Centres in Hayatabad Peshawar and Alizai in Kurram Agency.

Refugees in Quetta will go first to Scheduling Centres, before proceeding to the Baleli Departure Centre and IVC. Address are printed below.

Refugees in camps wishing to repatriate can contact UNHCR field staff or the Refugee Village Administrators (RVAs) working for the Commissionerate of Refugees (CAR). They will then be visited by a UNHCR mobile team who will issue them with a Pre-Registration Form (PRF) and a Voluntary Repatriation Form (VRF). They will then proceed to the IVC.

Instructions for all refugees wishing to repatriate:

All Afghans in Pakistan wishing UNHCR assistance to repatriate to Afghanistan should follow the following instructions, according to their location:

Every returning family must present a recent family photo which will be verified by UNHCR staff. Family members will be interviewed about their intention to repatriate.

All family members over the age of 6 years must go through the Iris recognition process to receive the UNHCR returnee assistance.

Returnees can bring only their actual belongings back to Afghanistan. Returnees who wish to take equipment/goods for income-generation purposes must obtain approval from CAR

Camp-based refugees must dismantle their houses before departure.

UNHCR will give each returning refugee cash assistance in place of food and material assistance. Each returning refugee will receive US$12 in addition to cash for transport assistance. The cash grant will be given to returning refugees at the appropriate encashment center inside Afghanistan.

NWFP

Afghans wishing to repatriate can directly approach the Iris Verification Centres (IVCs) in Hayatabad, Peshawar and Alizai in Kurram Agency. The IVCs will be open Sundays through Thursdays from 7:00am to 3:00pm.

Balochistan

Afghans wishing to repatriate can approach either of the two scheduling centres in Quetta: Ghousabad Satellite Town and Sabzal Road. They will operate Monday to Thursday from 8.00 a.m. to 3.00 p.m. and on Friday from 8.00 a.m. to 12.30 p.m.

Those departing must visit the Baleli IVC, where all over the age of six years will pass through the iris test. It is on the main Quetta-Chaman Road, Baleli Quetta and will function from Sunday to Thursday from 8.00 a.m. to 3.00 p.m.

If you need additional information, there is a UNHCR information centre at Ghousabad satellite town Quetta. It is open Monday to Thursday from 8.00 a.m. to 3.00 p.m. and on Friday from 8.00 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. You can contact Mr. Allah Yar mobile number 0333-7845804 for further information.

Karachi/Sindh

In Karachi, UNHCR will have four Pre-Registration Centers (PRC), which will register those wishing to repatriate starting on 7 March.

Banaras PRC
First Floor, Arif Medical Center,
Banaras Chowrangi,
Banaras

Landi PRC
First Floor,
Raja Khel Market,
Dawood Chowrangi,
Landi

Indus PRC
House No. R/115,
Good Earth Bungalows,
KDA Scheme,
Gadab

Songal PRC
Government Boys Secondary School Compound,
New Sabzi Mandi,
UC Songal,
Gadab

Staff of ARRC (Afghan Refugee Repatriation Cell) and UNHCR will be available at the PRCs from 9.00 a.m. to 4.00 p.m. from Monday to Friday every week to provide Afghans with information to assist their return.

The first departures are on Monday, 14 March 2005. Those repatriating will leave from the Songal Voluntary Repatriation Center (VRC).

Islamabad/Punjab

Those wishing to repatriate should approach the Voluntary Repatriation Centres (VRCs) in I-11, Tarnol and Attock. They will operate from Sunday to Thursday from0730 a.m. till 1500 p.m.

Afghanistan

Cash assistance to those repatriating is paid only on arrival in Afghanistan. The encashment centres (ECs) will be operating at the same time as repatriation starts from Pakistan. However, the EC in Gardez will not open until the end of March because of a relocation of the site and heavy snow.

Media Contact: Jack Redden: ++92-300-500-1133
Babar Baloch ++92-300-501-7939
Asif Shahzad ++92-300-500-2620


United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Pakistan

Voluntary repatriation of Afghans to starts on 7 March