- Title: Political tensions squeeze Afghan refugees in Pakistan
- Date: 3rd October 2016
- Summary: KABUL, AFGHANISTAN (SEPTEMBER 27, 2016) (REUTERS) TRUCK CARRYING AFGHAN REFUGEES WHO ARE RETURNING TO AFGHANISTAN AFTER LIVING IN PAKISTAN ARRIVING AT A UNITED NATIONS-RUN RECEPTION CENTRE ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF KABUL MAN WAVING AFGHAN FLAG WHILE SITTING ON TOP OF THE TRUCK AFGHAN WOMEN AND CHILDREN ARRIVING AT THE U.N.-RUN RECEPTION CENTRE SIGN READING (English): "KABUL ENCASHMENT AND TRANSIT CENTER" AFGHAN MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN GATHERED AT U.N. CAMP AFGHAN MEN SITTING UNDER TENT AFGHAN REFUGEES GOING THROUGH BOXES OF DOCUMENTS (SOUNDBITE) (Pashto) AFGHAN REFUGEE RETURNING TO AFGHANISTAN FROM PAKISTAN, SAMIHULLAH, SAYING: "We returned home after people and police in Pakistan started harassing us. They were harassing us day and night and that forced us to return home. They were raiding Afghan homes and giving us a 10 to 20 days notice to leave. They were taking us to police stations and we had to pay 4,000 or 5,000 Pakistani rupees. Because of all this harassment, we returned to our own homeland and we are happy." WOMEN AND CHILDREN AT CAMP (SOUNDBITE) (Pashto) AFGHAN REFUGEE RETURNING TO AFGHANISTAN FROM PAKISTAN, SAMIHULLAH, SAYING: "Afghans used to be called 'Kabuli' in Pakistan but now they call us 'Hindus' because we signed economic agreements with India." VARIOUS OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN BEHIND FENCE AT CAMP (SOUNDBITE) (Pashto) AFGHAN REFUGEE RETURNING TO AFGHANISTAN FROM PAKISTAN, SHEER BANU AHMADZAI, SAYING: "Police were creating problems every day for refugees - there were no schools for our children my children are old now but they haven't been to school. We had poor conditions." MINE AWARENESS CLASS FOR AFGHAN RETURNEES IN PROGRESS TEACHER SPEAKING DURING MINE AWARENESS CLASS FOR AFGHAN RETURNEES DIFFERENT TYPES OF MINES ON DISPLAY ON TABLE AFGHAN RETURNEES LOOKING AT MINES ON GROUND DURING MINE AWARENESS CLASS AFGHAN AND UNITED NATIONS FLAGS FLUTTERING (SOUNDBITE) (English) DIRECTOR OF THE UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES (UNHCR) COUNTRY OFFICE IN KABUL, MAYA AMERATUNGA, SAYING: "Of course there are many challenges. These returnees, they're coming back after more than three decades in exile. That means that their grandparents originated from Afghanistan so they don't know Afghanistan as their home country, so it will take a big adjustment for them. They may lack the community links at the moment, so one of the key issues is where will they live? Some people are able to go and live with their relatives, but others may not have that possibility. So unfortunately what we are seeing is people becoming displaced upon return to Afghanistan. That means they may go and live in a spotter settlement somewhere while they try to find a job, which is another challenge." AFGHAN CHILDREN SITTING WITH MOTHER WAITING FOR VACCINATION MEDICAL PERSON GIVING CHILD ORAL VACCINATION CHILD OPENING MOUTH FOR ORAL VACCINATION VACCINATION BEING PREPARED CHILD RECEIVING VACCINATION IN ARM CHILDREN SITTING IN LINE TO BE VACCINATED SIGN READING (English): "TRADER" AFGHAN MAN RECEIVING MONEY FROM TRADER U.S. DOLLARS BEING COUNTED BY MONEY COUNTING MACHINE U.N. REFUGEE STAFF PROCESSING AFGHAN RETURNEE FORMS STAFF GIVING MONEY TO AFGHAN RETURNEES TRUCK CARRYING AFGHAN REFUGEES WHO ARE RETURNING TO AFGHANISTAN AFTER LIVING IN PAKISTAN LEAVING THE U.N.-RUN RECEPTION CENTRE
- Embargoed: 18th October 2016 03:00
- Keywords: Afghanistan refugees Afghan refugees Pakistan political tension returnees
- Location: KABUL, AFGHANISTAN
- City: KABUL, AFGHANISTAN
- Country: Afghanistan
- Topics: Asylum/Immigration/Refugees,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA00152G9PAD
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: A stream of trucks arrive at a United Nations-run reception centre on the outskirts of Kabul, with a young man waving an Afghan flag perched atop piles of belongings on one of them.
He is one of thousands of Afghan refugees returning to Afghanistan from Pakistan and facing an uncertain future in a country many left decades ago.
After almost 40 years of war in Afghanistan, Pakistan has some 1.5 million registered refugees, one of the largest such populations in the world, according to the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR). More than a million others are estimated to live there unregistered.
Islamabad, which announced new repatriation plans last year, has stepped up pressure to send people back and numbers have risen sharply in recent months as Afghan-Indian relations strengthened and those between India and Pakistan soured.
Thirty-two year-old Samihullah, who like many Afghans goes by one name, says he arrived at the centre a week ago after working for years as a shopkeeper in Pakistan.
"We returned home after people and police in Pakistan started harassing us. They were harassing us day and night and that forced us to return home. They were raiding Afghan homes and giving us a 10 to 20 days notice to leave. They were taking us to police stations and we had to pay 4,000 or 5,000 Pakistani rupees," he said.
Born to refugee parents in the northern Pakistani town of Mansehra, he never gained citizenship but was always considered an Afghan, something which began to count against him as local resentment grew over Afghanistan's deepening ties with India.
Like Samihullah, who says he is happy to have returned to his homeland, many returnees say they are glad to be back, though they need help with food and shelter as the harsh winter months approach.
"Police were creating problems every day for refugees - there were no schools for our children my children are old now but they haven't been to school. We had poor conditions," said Sheer Banu Ahmadzai, a burqa-veiled 32 year-old mother who left her home in the northern province of Baghlan as a small child.
Pakistani officials deny there has been any systematic harassment of Afghans living in Pakistan and say their country has demonstrated great generosity to the refugee population, despite severe economic problems of its own.
Akhter Munir, spokesman at the Pakistani embassy in Kabul, said Pakistani police had clear instructions not to harass registered refugees.
The United Nations provides $400 a person in emergency help as well as medical and other assistance including mine awareness training for people returning to a country awash with unexploded ordnance. But longer term reintegration into a country many never knew as home may be more difficult.
"Of course there are many challenges," said Maya Ameratunga, director of UNHCR's Country office in Kabul. "They're coming back after more than three decades in exile. That means that their grandparents originated from Afghanistan so they don't know Afghanistan as their home country."
She added that one of the key issues is finding a place to live, as some aren't able to go and live with their relatives.
"So unfortunately what we are seeing is people becoming displaced upon return to Afghanistan. That means they may go and live in a spotter settlement somewhere while they try to find a job, which is another challenge," she said.
The spike in the number of returnees has, however, moved in step with escalating friction between Afghanistan and Pakistan, which flared into brief clashes at the Torkham border crossing in June.
A series of economic and political accords with India in recent months and the fanfare around the completion of the Indian-financed Salma dam in western Afghanistan in June has also weighed on relations.
"Afghans used to be called 'Kabuli' in Pakistan but now they call us 'Hindus' because we signed economic agreements with India," Samihullah said.
The treatment Samihullah and others at the reception centre complain of reflects how quickly diplomatic tensions can affect refugees, many of whom must start again from scratch.
According to UNHCR figures, the number of assisted returns jumped from 1,433 in June to 11,416 in July and 60,743 in August. More than 90,000 have been returned to Afghanistan so far this year, almost all from Pakistan, and the number is expected to pass 220,000 for the year - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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