Over 0.5 million Afghan refugees repatriated via Torkham

PESHAWAR: Under the International Forced Repatriation Programme (IFRP-KP), Pakistan has so far repatriated over 500,000 Afghan refugees to Afghanistan via the Torkham border.

According to statistics from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Home and Tribal Affairs Department, a total of 17,700 Afghan refugees were sent back through Torkham in a single day. 

As per a report from the central control room of the IFRP-KP programme, on April 12, 1,458 Afghan Citizen Card (ACC) holders and 2,665 undocumented Afghan migrants were repatriated via Torkham.

The control room report further stated that a total of 502,705 Afghan refugees have been repatriated through Torkham so far, of which 486,000 were undocumented migrants.

In addition to Torkham (Khyber district), the repatriation process is ongoing through other border points including Angoor Adda (South Waziristan), Ghulam Khan (North Waziristan), Kharlachi (Kurram), and Sost (China border). 

From the China border point, 698 ACC holders and 1 undocumented migrant have returned to Afghanistan.

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The report also noted that the transfer of Afghan refugees from other cities of Pakistan to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is underway. 

So far, 213 ACC holders and 543 undocumented migrants from Islamabad, Punjab, Gilgit, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and Sindh have been handed over to the KP authorities.

Similarly, the transit points** in Landi Kotal (Khyber district) and Kohat Jail are seeing continuous movement. 

So far, 463 ACC holders and 1,639 undocumented Afghans have crossed back through these points.

The report mentions a rise in voluntary repatriations. On the previous day alone, 1,245 ACC holders and 2,122 undocumented Afghan refugees chose to return to their home country voluntarily.

According to senior officials at the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the returning refugees are being provided with food and shelter, and emergency medical aid is also available if needed. 

Control rooms have been set up at both the Home Department and PDMA to monitor the repatriation process.

It is worth noting that there are 2.8 million registered Afghan refugees in Pakistan, while millions more reside illegally, with the majority living in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.