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| November 10, 2005 | Thursday | Shawwal 7, 1426 |
32,000 Afghans still living illegally in Bajaur Agency
KHAR (Bajaur Agency), Nov 9: More than 32,000 Afghan nationals are still residing illegally in the Bajuar Agency despite closure of refugee camps in the tribal area, official sources said.
They said that hundreds of Afghan families who went to their homeland under the UN repatriation programme had sneaked back into the agency through unfrequented routes.
The Commissionerate for Afghan Refugees and the UNHCR closed all refugee camps in Kurram and Bajaur agencies in September last year following which the government ordered Afghans to leave the tribal region immediately or face action.
The government had already closed down refugee camps in the North and South Waziristan agencies in the wake reports that Taliban and Al Qaeda elements took shelter in those camps after conducting attacks inside Afghanistan.
Data gathered by various state agencies revealed that about 6,412 Afghan families (32,773 individuals) were still residing in the area, enjoying support of tribal elders, an official said.
He said that despite warnings by the agency’s administration, Afghans had refused to leave the area, while more families from across the border were entering through illegal routes.
The sources said that after abolition of camps majority of the Afghans had scattered in villages around the agency and started business activities.
When approached, an official of the political administration said that the local authorities had summoned those tribal elders, who provided shelter to the Afghan families. He said that the administration would provide no more opportunity to illegal Afghans and would expel them from the area.
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