ISLAMABAD, July 11: The UNHCR-facilitated voluntary repatriation of Afghans from Pakistan this year has crossed the 100,000 mark. On Tuesday, the UN refugee agency’s repatriation centres in Peshawar, Quetta, Karachi and Islamabad processed more than 1,100 Afghans leaving for their country.

According to a statement issued her on Tuesday, among the returned Afghans included more than 15,000 domestic workers, 1,248 carpet weavers, 357 in the education sector, 325 engineers and 115 from the medical profession. Others in the skilled category included legal practitioners, construction plumbers, masons, agricultural workers and office workers.

“Seeing skilled Afghans return home in large numbers helps to keep the hope of nation-building alive for Afghanistan. This shows a vote of confidence by Afghans in their government and in the efforts of the international community engaged in rebuilding a country out of rubble. Returnees have a strong sense of obligation to be part of that reconstruction,” said UNHCR Officer In-charge John Andrew.

The Afghan return programme was the largest voluntary repatriation operation ever undertaken by UNHCR in its 56 years of history. Starting in 2002, the return operation had helped more than 2.84 million Afghans go back home after the fall of the Taliban government in late 2001.

UNHCR’s assistance to returnees included a transport grant ranging from $4-37 depending on the final destination in Afghanistan. Each returning Afghan was given an additional $12 to help reintegration upon return.

The return figures so far in 2006 included 64,100 from the NWFP, more than 18,000 from Balochistan, 9,500 from Sindh, some 10,000 from Punjab and the federal area.

“An estimated 2.6 million Afghans remain in Pakistan today. Right now we are discussing with the Pakistani government the best way to manage the temporary stay of Afghans in Pakistan,” said Indrika Ratwatte, UNHCR’s assistant representative in Pakistan.