Repatriation process: Kabul seeks extension in Afghan refugees’ stay

Afghan minister to meet PM to discuss returnees’ problems

ISLAMABAD: Afghan Minister for Refugees and Repatriation Sayed Hussain Alimi Balkhi said on Wednesday that he has sought an extension in Afghan refugees’ stay in Pakistan during his meetings in Islamabad.

Balkhi, who is in Pakistan on an official visit, would meet Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Thursday (today) to discuss the problems of the refugees. “I’m hope I will go back with a positive message from the prime minister,” the Afghan minister told The Express Tribune. He added that Pakistani officials agreed that there would be no discrimination between registered and nonregistered Afghan refugees.

He earlier told a tripartite meeting of Pakistani, Afghan and UNHCR representatives that humanitarian assistance alone could not fully address the pressing development needs of the refugees. “There is a need for collective and comprehensive efforts, backed by strong support by the international community for the national programmes that have the potential to address the urgent needs of returnees in Afghanistan,” he said.

The tripartite meeting reaffirmed their commitment to the principle of voluntary repatriation, in safety and dignity, to end the protracted Afghan refugee situation. The three sides agreed that efforts were required in order to create an environment for voluntary return and sustainable reintegration of returnees to Afghanistan.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 12^th, 2015.