UNHCR Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: 02 September (UNHCR) - The UN Refugee Agency said on Friday that the repatriation of Afghans from Pakistan should be voluntary in nature and was governed by the Tripartite Agreement signed by the governments of Pakistan-Afghanistan and UNHCR.

Sardar Yar Mohammad Rind, Federal Minister for States and Frontier Regions, reiterated Pakistan’s adherence to the tripartite agreement while addressing Afghans repatriating from I-11 Afghan Katchi Abadi, Islamabad in a send off ceremony,
also attended by Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao, Federal Minister for Interior.

“Pakistan is fully committed to the tripartite agreement on the voluntary repatriation of Afghans from Pakistan and will facilitate the process with UNHCR’s assistance”, said Yar Mohammad Rind.

The Pakistan government’s decision asking Afghans to vacate the I-11 sector in Islamabad and close refugee camps in Kurram and Bajaur Agency in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) citing security reasons was supported by UNHCR on the commitment by the Government of Pakistan that Afghans will be given options to voluntary repatriation or relocation to an existing camp in Pakistan.

Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao, Federal Minister for Interior giving a Voluntary Repatriation Form (VRF) to an Afghan before departing to Afghanistan at the UNHCR Islamabad departure and registration center. Sardar Yar Mohmmad Rind, Federal Minister for SAFRON is also standing in the picture © UNHCR/A.Shahzad

Afghans from Islamabad, under the government announcement can voluntary repatriate to Afghanistan or can relocate to Kot Chandana refugee camp in Mianwali. Afghans in Kurram and Bajaur camps, not able to repatriate, can relocate to an existing government designated camp..

UNHCR said Afghans were able to stay in Pakistan under the Tripartite Agreement and that their arrests on the basis of unavailability of legal documents, under the Foreigners Act, was contrary to the spirit of the Tripartite Agreement. However, it said that Afghan refugees in Pakistan were bound to abide by the laws of the host country

Pakistan’s Federal Minister for Interior, Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao, reassured Afghans that no body will do injustice to them in Pakistan.

“Police and the local administration have been directed to deal with Afghans in a humanitarian way. We will do whatever we can in a way where you are not harassed. The government will make sure Afghans have no difficulties,” Sherpao said responding to reports of Afghans fears about police harassment and arrests.

Some 75 percent out of more than 100,000 Afghans have been voluntarily repatriated to Afghanistan from Kurram and Bajaur Afghan refugee camps after the government of Pakistan’s announcement to close 27 Afghan refugee camps in the FATA area.

UNHCR Country Representative Guenet Guebre Christos, Federal Minister for States and Froniter Regions (SAFRON), Sardar Yar Mohamad Rind,andFederal Minister for Interior, Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao sitting in a ceremony to see off Afghansvoluntary repatriating from I-11 Afghan Katchi Abadiat UNHCR Islamabad departure and registrationcenter. © UNHCR/A.Shahzad

“Afghans in Kurram and Bajaur are also covered under the tripartite agreement under which Pakistan government announced the options of voluntary repatriation or relocation to another existing camp in the area. We welcome the Government of Pakistan’s commitment at the recent Tripartite Commission meeting in Kabul today that these two options continue to be made available to the Afghans”, said Guenet Guebre-Christos, UNHCR Representative in Pakistan..

“The Pakistan government has been a generous host of Afghans for more than 25 years and they have also shown a strong resolve to abide by the principle points of the agreement based on gradual and voluntary repatriation. In partnership with the Government of Afghanistan-Pakistan and friends, UNHCR is working to find solutions to the displacement of Afghans”, She said.

More than 330,000 Afghans returned home under the voluntary repatriation programme from Pakistan in 2005 including 600 that were seen off by Pakistan’s two Federal Ministers at the UNHCR registration and departure point on Friday.

Since the start of the programme in 2002 more than 2.6 million Afghans have returned to Afghanistan taking the UNHCR assistance package.


United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Pakistan

Tripartite Agreement ensures voluntary repatriation of Afghans from Pakistan