India hands over family tents to Afghanistan to support returnees

New Delhi, July 13 (IANS) The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Monday announced that India has handed over family tents for Afghan returnees as part of its continued humanitarian assistance to the people of Afghanistan.

“As part of India’s continued humanitarian assistance to the people of Afghanistan, India has handed over family tents to the Afghan Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation (MoRR) to support the shelter and rehabilitation needs of Afghan returnees,” the MEA wrote on X.

Afghanistan has been witnessing a large number of returnees, especially from Pakistan, as Islamabad has ramped up measures to repatriate refugees and undocumented migrants.

According to reports, an enforcement drive has begun following the expiry of the July 10 deadline for Afghans without valid visas to leave voluntarily.

The Taliban’s Secretariat of the High Commission for Addressing Returnees’ Issues said that more than 4,000 Afghans were deported from Pakistan within 24 hours over the weekend, Amu TV reported.

Figures obtained from the Hamza Baba transit point in Landi Kotal showed a significant increase in the number of Afghan refugees returning in recent days. According to officials at the transit point, the number of returnees has exceeded 10,000 daily since Pakistan ordered all Afghan nationals in the country to return to Afghanistan, Pakistan’s daily Dawn reported.

The spokesperson for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Pakistan, Qaiser Khan Afridi, while speaking to Dawn, expressed concern over the Pakistan government’s decision to “forcibly” send back Afghan refugees and asylum seekers.

“UNHCR remains particularly concerned about women and girls forced to return to a country where their human rights are at risk, as well as other groups who might be at risk,” he said.

He also urged the authorities to ensure that the return of Afghans to Afghanistan is voluntary, safe and dignified.

“UNHCR has appealed to the government of Pakistan to exempt Afghans with continued international protection needs from voluntary return, especially those facing refoulement risks, including profiles such as female heads of households, women and girls enrolled in educational institutions in Pakistan, individuals from ethnic and religious minorities, human rights defenders, journalists, performing artists and members of the transgender community,” the report in Dawn said.

–IANS

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