Authorities are setting up temporary camps in Nangarhar and Kandahar provinces as return of refugees has increased sharply due to Pakistan’s crackdown.
Local officials in Nangarhar said that they are providing facilities for refugees returning from Pakistan.
According to the officials, a camp is being built in Lalpur district of Nangarhar province, and returnees will be taken care of in the camp.
The majority of Afghans who voluntarily return or get deported from Pakistan use the Torkham crossing.
“Construction of the camp is going on, and returnees from remote provinces or those who have no home here can live in this camp for some days until they return to their provinces, and in this camp, all the facilities for returnees will be provided,” said Saeedullah Banuri, the deputy governor of Nangarhar.
Meanwhile, Nangarhar Department of Public Health said their health teams provide health services to the returnees round the clock.
“During the day, all health teams, including women’s health workers, are present in Torkham, and during the night, four health teams provide services to the people,” said Abdulla Azizi, deputy director of Nangarhar public health.
Officials in the provincial Department of Refugees and Repatriation said that up to 4,000 refugees return from Pakistan every day.
“They forced us out, and on the way the Pakistani police took money from us up to 5,000 from each vehicle leaving, and there is a lot of oppression going on against Afghans,” said Gul Ahmad, a returnee from Pakistan.
“One of my sons is still in prison in Pakistan. I was also arrested and 86,000 Pakistani rupees were taken from me. Our request from the government is that it should support Afghans who return from Pakistan because they are very poor,” said Silabzai, a returnee from Pakistan.
Nangarhar Department of Refugees and Repatriation said that since the return of migrants is increasing, they have facilitated the processing and registration process.
“We have increased the number of employees and returnees will be registered even if the number increases, that is why we will build this camp so that they can stay here until their registration process is completed and later they would go to their provinces and districts,” said Baz Mohammad Abdurrahman, head of Nangarhar Department of Refugees and Repatriation.
According to the officials, the returnees who do not have home in Afghanistan will also have the support of some international organizations.
In the meantime, the Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation said that a temporary camp will be built in the Spin Boldak district of Kandahar province for Afghan refugees who are deported from Pakistan.
The acting minister of refugees said that a delegation from Kabul visited Kandahar to start the construction of the camp.
A number of those who have returned from Pakistan say that the government should address their problems as soon as possible.
Pakistan has set November 1 as deadline for illegal migrants to leave the country.
“We want to build temporary camps with all the facilities for the returnees until they are cleared and then they are transferred to their permanent places,” said Khalil ul-Rahman Haqqani, acting minister of refugees.
A number of those returning from Pakistan want the government to speed up the registration of returnees.
“We haven’t received any help since we came, and we want to be helped,” said Raz Mohammad, a returnee from Pakistan.
Acting minister of refugees, however, said that they have increased the facilities in Kandahar several times to address the problem of returnees.
Pakistan is deporting refugees despite calls by the international organizations to suspend the process.
