NOWSHERA: The United Nations refugee agency inaugurated on Wednesday its second voluntary repatriation centre to facilitate the safe and dignified return of Afghan refugees to their homeland.

With the opening of the new centre in Azakhel, Nowshera, the UNHCR now has the capacity to facilitate the return of up to 10,000 refugees everyday through the Torkham border crossing.

The inauguration ceremony was attended, among others, by UNHCR Representative in Pakistan Indrika Ratwatte, Chief Commissioner for Afghan Refugees Dr Imran Zeb Khan and Afghan Ambassador to Pakistan Dr Omar Zakhilwal.

A high-level delegation comprising ambassadors of the European Union, Austria, the Czech Republic and Denmark and charge d’ affaires of the Netherlands was also present.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Ratwatte commended the Pakistani government for extending the stay of Afghan refugees in the country to March 31 next year.

“The extension is an important decision made by the government of Pakistan which recognises the importance of policies to manage the legal stay of registered Afghans in Pakistan,” he said.

Dr Zeb Khan said the government had ensured that the repatriation remained voluntary in nature and that the refugees returned home in safety and dignity.

He also acknowledged the Afghan government’s commitment towards facilitating the repatriation process and praised the steps being taken by it to enable the refugees’ sustainable reintegration in their country.

Ambassador Zakhilwal encouraged the Afghan refugees to return home “despite the many challenges” and join the nation-building process.

He said the fact that Afghan refugees were returning to their homeland of their free will demonstrated their confidence in the efforts being made in this regard by the Afghan national unity government.

The ambassadors visited the repatriation centres at Azakhel and Chamkani, in Peshawar, met elders of the Afghan Refugee Shura and talked to them about their time spent in Pakistan and their upcoming return to Afghanistan.

The two repatriation centres are supported by the European Commission’s Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection department.

UNHCR has acquired extra land for the additional vehicles needed for the repatriation process and has also established dedicated spaces for children at the two centres.

Published in Dawn September 29th, 2016