Kabul urges relocation of UN refugee centers from Pakistan to Afghanistan

Acting Minister of Refugees and Repatriation, Mawlavi Abdul Kabir, has called on the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to move key refugee processing centers from Pakistan to Afghanistan’s Nangarhar and Kandahar provinces to streamline the repatriation process.

The appeal came during a meeting in Kabul with Arafat Jamal, UNHCR’s representative in Afghanistan, where Abdul Kabir criticised the forced deportation of Afghans from both Iran and Pakistan and raised concerns over long delays at the UN registration office in Azakhel, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

He said the bottlenecks there have created serious hardships for returning refugees.

The minister also highlighted the difficulties faced by Afghan students in Pakistan, including prolonged visa issuance procedures, and stressed the need for a dignified and systematic return of all refugees.

Ministry spokesperson Abdul Mutalib Haqqani said the meeting underscored the importance of facilitating student visas and providing essential services to returnees.

Jamal assured that the issues raised would be relayed to UNHCR leadership. A follow-up meeting is scheduled in Kabul next month, with representatives from several countries and international organisations expected to discuss the refugee situation in depth.