Editor in Chief: Moh. Reza Huwaida Friday, March 29th, 2024

Repatriation of Refugees from Iran

The Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation Affairs say news about the Iranian ultimatum to Afghan refugees to leave the country is misreported. Official from the Ministry says Iran has asked Afghan refugees living in Iran to visit Afghanistan and see if the conditions for repatriation allow them to return. It's beyond understanding why the Ministry is trying to cover a fact which has been reported by official Iranian news agencies.

According to reports by Iranian news agencies the other day, more than 900,000 Afghan refugees have been asked to leave the country in 3 months. According to reports, Muhammad Tahuri, an official in the Interior Ministry of Iran has said the Afghan families living in Iran without legal documentation have been given an ultimatum of 3 months to repatriate to their homeland.

According to United Nations High Commission for Refugees, around three million refugees out of the 15.6 million worldwide – nearly one in every five – are Afghans. Of the nearly 700,000 asylum applications lodged in 2009 and 2010 in 44 industrialized nations of the world, nearly 52,000 – one in every 13 – were from Afghans. But out of this huge Afghan refugee population around the world, we hear news of inhumane treatment and ultimatums of forced repatriation only from Iran.

During the last couple of years, repatriation of Afghan refugees has been very slowed due to the bleak situation. Insecurity and poverty are the prime factors of low repatriation. Its obvious that return, alone, does not mean success. It must be followed by successful reintegration, enabled by conditions conducive for the social and economic wellbeing of refugees.

Greater efforts are needed to ensure returnees with basic services, such as access to land, water, shelter, general education, health care and electricity. But unfortunately these facilities are not provided and people are tired of the bureaucratic process of judiciary.

The Afghan Government has failed to facilitate the assistance to Afghan refugees who repatriate from Iran and Pakistan. The rest in the western world enjoy the international standards and process of becoming citizens of those countries.

Our neighboring countries Pakistan and Iran have been hosting millions of Afghan refugees during the decades of wars and crisis. Our leaders have time and again thanked our neighbors for the hospitality of hosting refugees in bad times. Economy of both countries have been affected and due to these reasons Pakistan and Iran are trying to increase repatriation so as to send home the remaining 3 million Afghans in both countries.

The numbers of repatriation have decreased sharply in recent years and at the same time the number of Afghans leaving the country, mostly because of unemployment, are also rising. Ensuring sustainable refugee return and addressing irregular migration have at least one solution in common – an improvement in the overall economic environment and in employment opportunities. Progress in these areas will surely encourage more Afghans to return and provide reasons for others not to leave the country.

Over Three million Afghan refugees in Pakistan and Iran are reluctant to return home due to the rising insurgency and poverty. International community is needed to pay more heed in this regard. The financial crisis may affect funding Afghan refugees which the UN should ensure timely assistance and measure in this regard.