PAKISTAN: Over 30 tribal Afghan refugee camps to close by end of August

[ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations]

ISLAMABAD, 8 Aug 2005 (IRIN) - Pakistani authorities have announced the closure of over 30 Afghan refugee camps by the end of August, citing security concerns. All are located in Kurram and Bajaur agencies in the western tribal belt of Pakistan bordering Afghanistan. The move is a further step in the continuing policy of camp closures.

"As of 31 August, all the Afghan refugee camps in Kurram and Bajaur agency will be closed. However, the camp residents can avail themselves of the UNHCR's [the office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees] assistance package for repatriation back to Afghanistan," Jehangir Khan, head of the state-run Commissionerate of Afghan Refugees (CAR), said on Thursday, speaking from the western city of Peshawar.

According to CAR, about 105,000 Afghan refugees living in 32 camps of the two agencies have been given the option of repatriation to Afghanistan.

In 2004, the Pakistani government decided to close all the Afghan refugee camps located in the Federally Administered Tribal Area (FATA), which consists of seven agencies situated on the western border with neighbouring Afghanistan.

"The UN refugee agency will facilitate Afghans wishing to avail themselves of UNHCR's assistance for repatriation from the area," Babar Baloch, a UNHCR spokesman said from Peshawar.

Baloch added that in order to make the repatriation process easier, the refugee agency would inform Afghans living in the two agencies about a special registration procedure to be announced shortly.

Under the standard assistance package of the UNHCR, the Afghan returnees are issued with a travel grant ranging from US $3 to $30 per person depending on the distance they intend to travel within Afghanistan on their homeward journey. They are also given an additional $12 per person to help them re-establish themselves in their homeland.

After repatriation of over 50,000 Afghan refugees from North Waziristan tribal agency in June and July, about 270,000 Afghans now remain in the other six agencies.

A total of over 217,000 Afghans have returned Afghanistan from Pakistan this year under the UNHCR's voluntary repatriation programme. UNHCR estimates some 400,000 Afghan refugees remain to be repatriated this year.

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