Dividing the load: Voluntary repatriation centre to be opened in city

UNHCR spokesperson says aim is to streamline return of refugees

PESHAWAR: To repatriate Afghan refugees in a respectable and dignified manner, the UNHCR has decided to open another centre in Peshawar and introduce new procedures.

Currently, the UNHCR Voluntary Repatriation Centre (VRC) in Chamkani is the sole entity responsible for Afghan refugees returning to their home country on a voluntary basis.

However, due to the current mass repatriation of Afghan refugees from Pakistan, the centre is overburdened, resulting in considerable difficulties for people hailing from the neighbouring country. Many of them have been forced to spend nights without any shelter.

To better manage the situation, the UNHCR will open another VRC near the Commissionerate for Afghan Refugees in Hayatabad in the city soon. The aim is to ease the process of voluntary return.

Talking to The Express Tribune, UNHCR spokesperson in Pakistan, Dunya Aslam Khan, said the new VRC will provide every facility to refugees who want to voluntarily return.

She said the number of repatriating refugees has almost doubled over the last two months, while the VRC in Chamkani can cater to 500 families a day.

The spokesperson said between 3,000 and 3,500 people visit the centre and it is difficult for staff members to handle them at the same time.

She said the centre has a capacity of 200 trucks, while the number of these vehicles increases with the growing number of people returning.

Dunya Aslam shared the parking capacity has been increased and could accommodate up to 700 trucks at a time.

According to the new procedure prescribed for repatriation, she said refugees will contact the centre on 10 helpline numbers and receive a token to fix a date and time for their return.

Khan said the family concerned will reach the centre, along with their goods, and all their documentation would be completed without much delay.

Dunya shared that between January to August 23, around 11,551 families have been repatriated to Afghanistan. She added 500 families are going back to their homeland on a daily basis under the UNHCR voluntary return programme.

However, Bakhtiayar Jan, an Afghan refugee, told The Express Tribune the lack of facilities and slow process of documentation at the VRC in Peshawar are causing tremendous difficulty for women and children.

He said several women fell unconscious due to the scorching heat and there was inadequate drinking water.

The refugee added they were being made to wait in trucks for long periods of time. “We cannot wait for such periods as the women and children cannot bear the heat.”

He demanded improvements at the VRC so that Afghan nationals could return to their home country in a smooth manner.

Meanwhile, the blocked Chaman border is adding to the burden at Torkham as hundreds of families cross the latter into Afghanistan on a daily basis.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 25^th, 2016.