August 29, 2003	Friday	Jumadi-us-Sani 30, 1424

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QUETTA, Aug 28: The United Nation High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) closed its iris verification centre in Chaman on Thursday after the return of 69,000 refugees to Afghanistan

“Iris verification centre has been closed in view of decline in the number of Afghan refugees returning to Afghanistan,” a UNHCR spokesman said. However, a mobile team will serve the area.

Around 34,000 out of 69,000 Afghan refugees went back to their country through iris verification system.

So for 276,290 Afghan refugees have gone to Afghanistan from Pakistan during the year 2003.

The centre before closing carried out iris scans on Afghan refugees over age of six as part of the process for verifying which refugee was entitled to United Nation High Commissioner for Refugees assistance after his/her return to homeland.

The United Nation High Commissioner for Refugees, Pakistan, introduced the iris technology in September 2002 to counter attempts to claim return benefits more than once, saving valuable donor money, and making sure assistance goes to deserving Afghan refugees.