Pakistan, Afghanistan, UNHCR agree to extend deal on Afghan returns

KABUL, August 30 (UNHCR) - The governments of Afghanistan, Pakistan and the UN refugee agency have agreed to extend the Tripartite Agreement which regulates the repatriation of Afghans, giving those Afghans still living in Pakistan more time to return home under the existing UNHCR repatriation programme.

The agreement, which was to have expired on March 2006, will be extended in its present form to December 2006 pending the approval of the respective governments and UNHCR. The decision was taken during a meeting of the Tripartite Commission, which comprises representatives of the three parties, held in Kabul on Monday. It was the eighth meeting of the Commission since the Tripartite Agreement was signed in March 2003.

The decision by the government of Pakistan to close refugee camps in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) near the Afghan border was also discussed. Pakistan has declared that all camps in FATA will be closed on August 31 for security reasons. Camp residents are given a choice of going home under the UNHCR voluntary repatriation programme or relocating to existing camps in Pakistan.

Representatives from Pakistan reiterated their government's commitment to the voluntary return of Afghans and said camps for those choosing to relocate have been identified. Refugee community leaders will be informed of the names and locations of the camps.

The Commission agreed to form a sub-committee to better coordinate the camp closures and to facilitate the reintegration of Afghans returning home. Most returns from the FATA camps are to the provinces of Khost, Nangarhar, and Paktya in eastern Afghanistan as well as central Kabul province.

All parties acknowledged the importance of addressing land and shelter issues in Afghanistan and called for robust international support.

Plans by the government of Pakistan to register all Afghans living in the country in 2006 were supported by the government of Afghanistan and UNHCR and all parties agreed to finalize a proposal for the exercise over the coming weeks.

A census conducted earlier this year by the Pakistani government with assistance from UNHCR showed that more than 3 million Afghans are living in Pakistan. Some 280,000 Afghans have returned home from Pakistan so far this year, bringing to more than 2.5 million the number that has gone back to Afghanistan from this neighbouring country since early 2002.