UNHCR hosts meeting on repatriation of Afghan refugees in Iran
The parties to the constructive 11th Tripartite Commission Meeting, agreed that days of mass return were over, and that innovative approaches are necessary, as there are no standard solutions in the current situation. Presiding over the meeting were Iran’s Minister of Interior Mostafa Pur-Mohammadi, Advisor to Iran’s Minister of Interior and Director General of the Bureau for Aliens and Foreign Immigrant’s Affairs (BAFIA) Ahmad Hosseini, the Afghan Minister for Refugees and Repatriation, Mohammad Akbar Akbar and the UNHCR High Commissioner, Antonio Guterres, who chaired the meeting.
Parties took note of the significant decline since 2004, in numbers of registered Afghan refugees and displaced persons returning under the Assisted Joint Voluntary Repatriation Program. A reason for this decline has been the substantial differentials in living standards between Iran and Afghanistan, and the fact that most Afghan families in Iran have been there for more than twenty years.
The parties therefore agreed to mobilize additional financial assistance for enhancing voluntary repatriation and integration in Afghanistan and for providing essential assistance to the remaining registered Afghan refugees in Iran in particular the most vulnerable ones.
The High Commissioner requested special consideration for remaining Afghan refugees who had been in Iran for a long time, particularly those with mixed marriages and children born in Iran.
Another reason for the decline, is the possible lack of confidence in the existence of sustainable conditions for Afghans’ return to their home country. The High Commissioner stressed the importance of security and development in Afghanistan. Also present at the opening ceremony of the Tripartite Commission Meeting (TCM) on the Joint Program for Voluntary Repatriation, were Ambassadors and Representatives of leading donor countries and organizations. They renewed their commitment towards supporting the Afghan return and reintegration operation, and also the reconstruction of Afghanistan.
Following the Tripartite Commission Meeting, the High Commissioner and Minister Pur-Mohammadi held positive bilateral meetings. They signed an agreement on joint projects providing vocational training programs, education and medical assistance to remaining Afghans in Iran. Mr. Guterres had earlier described Iran as one of UNHCR’s most relevant and important partners, given Iran’s history of contributions and support to refugee welfare and protection, its strategic role in the region, and its adherence to Islamic law and values.
He said, “We remain committed to making return to and reintegration in Afghanistan sustainable, but we must also be realistic in our expectations. Afghanistan still faces many difficulties. Moreover, the majority of the remaining 920,000 Afghan refugees in Iran have been there 20 years or more.”
The meeting concluded with both parties expressing their satisfaction at the state of their partnership and reaffirming their commitment to continue their cooperation.
The Islamic Republic of Iran will be hosting the next TCM end February/early March 2007. TCMs take place three times a year; once in UNHCR headquarters in Geneva, once in Iran and once in Afghanistan. Iran last hosted the 9th meeting, and is to next host the 12th meeting in 2007.