'1 million Afghan refugees' return to war-torn country

By Shadi Khan Saif

KABUL, Afghanistan

The number of refugees returning to their war-ravaged homes in Afghanistan, mostly from neighboring Pakistan, has reached one million in 2016, an Afghan deputy minister said Sunday.

Speaking at a ceremony to mark the International Migrants Day in eastern Nanagarhar province, Deputy Minister of Refugees and Repatriation Wali Hakimi said an overwhelming majority of those returning were opting to settle down in the Afghan province bordering Pakistan’s Federally Administered Tribal Areas.

The Afghan government plans to set up three townships for the newly-repatriated families in Nangarhar and neighboring Logar provinces with the help of international aid agencies, Hakimi said.

The repatriation from Pakistan hit an all-time high this year following a crackdown against Afghan refugees in the country that has hosted them for over three decades.

This historic return of refugees, which has made Afghanistan the biggest host of repatriated population in the world, also raises grim concerns about the lives of these men, women and children who are facing harsh conditions as militancy rages on in the country.

Also, the country is grappling with over 50,000 new internally-displaced persons this year alone, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

Moreover, Europe continues to deport failed asylum-seeking Afghans in line with a deal agreed between Kabul and Brussels. Under the agreement as many as 80,000 Afghans are likely to be deported from different European countries despite widespread protests in Europe as well as in Afghanistan against the move.