After a 30-year stay, Afghans begin vacating Mattani refugee camp

28 families leave for Afghanistan, five others to be moved soon.

PESHAWAR: Almost all Afghan families settled for the past 30 years at Mattani Refugee Camp have evacuated the premises, according to the focal person for Peshawar district administration, Muhammad Fawad.

Of the 33 families wanting to get repatriated to Afghanistan, 28 have already left while five others will be relocated within the next few days.

Fawad told The Express Tribune that a two-phase plan was chalked out by the district administration to shift Afghan refugees from Mattani and Jabba Jail camps to Garhi Chandan. In the first phase, families residing at Mattani camp were to be shifted, while 179 families living at Jabba Jail refugee camp will be relocated in the second phase.

Fawad said a four-member committee comprising Dr Rehmatullah, Jan Muhammad, Syed Muhammad and Pir Muhammad was formed from among the inhabitants of the camp. The committee is tasked with coordinating with the district administration to relocate the refugees.

The district administration official, however, revealed that all families were shifted to nearby areas rather than Garhi Chandan upon popular demand as refugees argued that their children were already enrolled at nearby schools while they held jobs at the brick kiln at Mattani camp.

The five remaining families awaiting repatriation to Afghanistan were shifted to the Village Refugee Centre to register themselves. They will be given $200 per head by the UNHCR. The UN’s refugee organisation will be providing transport for shifting the refugees’ luggage and tents.

Agha Jan, a 65-year-old refugee at the camp, told The Express Tribune the district administration had convinced the refugees to vacate the camps. “We had been living at the camp for the last 30 years, and residents of the area had always treated us with great love,” said Jan, tearing up. He said evacuation had started after successful negotiations between the Refugees Village Administration (RVA) and Peshawar district administration.

He lashed out at Afghan consulate officials, claiming that no one representing Afghan authorities in Pakistan had come to ask about their troubles at this critical juncture.

Meanwhile, Fawad revealed that Agha Mir and Gul Jan, who were arrested four days ago for allegedly convincing the refugees to not move out of Mattani camp, were released on Tuesday.

The district administration on Friday last week gave Afghan refugees 48 hours to evacuate their camps at Mattani. Authorities were also directed to reach the site with heavy machinery to demolish all structures erected at the campsite after the departure of refugees.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 14^th, 2014.