Afghan Peshawar Refugees Back Home

[gelatik]

ISLAMABAD, March 1 - United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) is
starting voluntary repatriation of Afghan refugees to their homeland from
Peshawar Friday.

UNHCR spokesperson Melita Sunjic talking to US Thursday said, "This is an
organized repatriation, starting tomorrow (March 1), adding that 126,000
Afghans have already left for the war battered Afghanistan since January."

To a query, she said that Afghan refugees have made all the arrangements on
their own.

"They have made all necessary arrangements, including hiring of local buses
voluntarily to travel to their homeland," she said. The refugee agency plans to
send back 400,000 Afghan refugees to Afghanistan this year.

However, she said, "it will take sometime."

Earlier 7 centers were being set up in 3 provinces to facilitate Afghan
refugees, who aspired for voluntary return to their homeland. Melita told the
agency that no Afghan refugee would be forced to go back to Afghanistan. "The
repatriation process would be voluntary."

She said that the repatriation process is being launched from Peshawar only.
The refugees would get $100, wheat, blankets, and other non-food items as a

repatriation package. Refugee return process would gather momentum following
the end of the harsh winter in Afghanistan.

She expressed concern over the deportation of 750 Afghan refugees from Dubai
back to Afghanistan. The refugees going back to their homeland would receive
humanitarian relief aid in Afghanistan.