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28th April 2003
UNHCR
statement in response to the first forcible returns of Afghans by
the UK Government
UNHCR accepts that those who are not in need of international
protection should return. UNHCR recognises that governments have
the power to take a range of measures to effect returns, including
forcible return, however UNHCR is not a party to this process.
There are groups of Afghans who remain
in need of international protection. In this particular instance,
UNHCR has been assured that the people who are subject to removal
have availed themselves of the asylum procedure and have been found
not to be in need of international protection.
UNHCR believes that Afghans should,
wherever possible, return voluntarily on the basis of a fully informed
decision on the situation that they are returning to. UNHCR has
found that voluntary return is the best way to achieve long term
and sustainable solutions to refugee situations.
As a partner in the UK voluntary repatriation
scheme, UNHCR is facilitating return through the provision of independent
information on the situation in Afghanistan, and the verification
that those individuals who are returning as part of the voluntary
return programme have received all relevant information on which
to base their decision.
Security is still a concern in Afghanistan.
However last year more than 2 million people chose to return of
their own accord, and UNHCR hopes that conditions will allow many,
of the more than 3m Afghans living outside the country mostly in
Pakistan and Iran, to be able to return. UNHCR is calling for the
Afghan authorities, and the international community, to take measures
to strengthen security in the country, particularly in rural areas,
as this will be a precondition for widespread return.
We understand that at present the UK
is returning people only to the Kabul region where the security
situation is relatively stable.
In October 2002, the UK Government,
Afghan authority and UNHCR signed a tripartite agreement on returns
to Afghanistan. Under this agreement, voluntary return is preferred
solution and UNHCR agreed to act as partner in facilitating this.
Under this partnership UNHCR is undertaking a number of tasks including:
- the provision of impartial information on the
situation in Afghanistan,
gathered by UNHCR staff in country, and disseminating this to
Afghans
and Afghan community groups in the UK;
- ensuring that any Afghans in the UK who have
protection needs have
those needs recognised;
- providing special attention to the needs of
children and other vulnerable
cases;
- verifying that any Afghans returning under
the voluntary repatriation
scheme have had full access to all relevant information and
that their
decision is genuinely informed and voluntary;
- assistance and monitoring of returnees to Afghanistan
by local UNHCR
staff.
Ends
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