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UNHCR facilitates voluntary repatriation of Afghans from Gujranwala

GUJRANWALA, 29 July (UNHCR) - The UN Refugee Agency organized the first ever repatriation of Afghans from Gujranwala city on Wednesday when 150 Afghans left the city to voluntarily repatriate to Afghanistan under the ongoing repatriation programme.

Guenet Guebre Christos, UNHCR Representative in Pakistan, Shafqat Ali Hizaji, Commissioner Afghan Refugees Punjab and Raymond Rozario of Caritas-Pakistan handed over the voluntary repatriation forms to the 22 Afghan families that left Gujranwala to Torkham border exit point and onwards to their destinations in Afghanistan.

More than 214,000 Afghans have voluntary repatriated from Pakistan under the UNHCR facilitated repatriation programme in 2005 since March. The figure also includes 23,500 Afghans who opt to go home from Punjab and Islamabad. UNHCR estimates that around 400,000 Afghans will repatriate from Pakistan during the current year.

"I stand today in front of my Afghan brothers and sisters to share this moment of joy that finally I am returning home with dignity and respect," said Innayat Ullah, An Afghan elder repatriating to his home in Kabul while addressing the gathering that had assembled to say good bye to them.

"In all these years of exile I have realized one thing that I want to share with my countrymen here. No one can rebuild and reconstruct Afghanistan except Afghans themselves. So I have decided my fate and I am going to be among others who returned to do the same."

Since the start of the UNHCR facilitated repatriation programme from Pakistan in 2002 more than 2.5 million Afghans have returned home.

A census carried out earlier this year showed that more than 3 million Afghans were living in Pakistan. Around 208,000 Afghans were recorded living different parts of Punjab.

"As much as for you, today is a very joyful day for us," said Guenet Guebre- Christos addressing the Afghans ready to leave for home.

"As people serving refugees there is nothing honourable, dignified and joyful as a return to one's homeland. You are resilient, highly motivated people and today you have again demonstrated your motivation and resilience to go home, pick up and start all over again," she added appreciating the refugee strength to stand against all the odes.

After the start of the voluntary repatriation programme since 2002 more than 370,000 Afghans have gone home from Punjab. Around 289,667 of those went in 2002; while 39,776 in 2003 and 30,567 Afghans were assisted in the year 2004.

"Since the incoming of Afghan refugees in Pakistan, the government with the help UNHCR has been trying its level best to keep the Afghan refugees comfortable and to make you feel at home in Pakistan. As most of Afghans among you, repatriating today, are those who have lived in Pakistan for last sixteen to seventeen years, the people and the government wishes you a peaceful repatriation to Afghanistan," said Shafqat Ali Hijazi.

UNHCR pays a travel assistance grant of US $ 3 - 30 to the returnees depending on the length of their travel. An additional amount of US $ 12 is also paid to each Afghan going through the process to help them reintegrate in Afghanistan. Returnees above the age of six have to go through an Iris test to make sure that they have not availed the repatriation package earlier. All assistance is paid at the UNHCR encashment centres inside Afghanistan.

Like other parts of Pakistan UNHCR repatriation teams are also registering Afghans willing to repatriate to Afghanistan from different parts of Punjab. Caritas Pakistan, a UNHCR partner NGO and the government of Punjab are helping UNHCR staff in identifying and processing Afghans wishing to repatriate.