LAHORE, July 26: The federal government has prepared a strategy to repatriate almost all Afghan refugees within three years by “creating discreet push and evident pull factors.”

Under the plan, refugee camps will be completely closed by 2009 with no permission for the dwellers to move to urban areas and thus leaving no option for them but to go back to their country, reveals the Strategy Reforms on Afghan Refugees Repatriation, a copy of which was made available to Dawn.

The ministry of States and Frontier Regions Division (Safron) has prepared it after consulting all relevant ministries as well as the four provincial governments.

There are 2.6 million Afghans still living in Pakistan although 4.7 million of them have been repatriated since 1990 under a UNHCR assisted programme.

Officials feel that the UNHCR is now seeking an exit from the refugee programme “on the pretext of donor fatigue” and is intending to integrate this huge number of refugees into local population.

This transformation will, however, be opposed at all forums, it says.

The repatriation strategy points out that the most important factor is the induction and incorporation of a political will and wisdom.

The foremost and imperative step it has envisaged in the action plan for pushing repatriation is registration of the refugees. The process will start in the last quarter of the current calendar year.

The registered refugees will be issued a Proof of Registration (PoR) valid till December 2009. It will not only help regulate and manage the Afghan population in security related matters but also provide a cover to the authorities for deporting, without inviting any international criticism, as illegal migrants those who will refuse to get themselves registered, it says.

All Afghans in urban areas will also be asked to register with local police stations, while landlords will report their Afghan tenants to the respective commissioners of Afghan refugees and local police stations. Landlords will rather be discouraged from renting out their properties to Afghans.

As civic amenities at camps, better than in Afghanistan, are attracting refugees to stay back, all education and health facilities should be curtailed and only provided against an appropriate fee.

All illegal market being run by the refugees will be closed down while other businesses run by them like restaurants, shops and vendors will be registered and taxed.

The industrialists, businessmen and other citizens will be asked to report Afghan employees working with them to the Afghan refugees commissioner and local police stations and discourage such employments.

However, the officials have been warned to be cautious in the process so that “the goodwill earned for hosting the largest refugee population for the longest period must not go waste.”

The Safron will promote repatriation through facilitating groups instead of individuals and priority will be given to the Afghans living in urban areas.

To create a conducive environment at international level for return of refugees, the government will use its missions and all other sources for highlighting negative impact of the presence of Afghans for such a long time on local socio-economic, political, security and environment matters.

A clear message will be convened that sustainable repatriation of the refugees is the only comprehensive solution.

The international community will be convinced to help develop areas of peace in Afghanistan as, what a recent census showed, 75 per cent of the refugees show lack of shelter and livelihood as impediment to their return.

The government will also impress upon the UNHCR to enhance its repatriation package up to $500 for a family of six members for next three years.

The local people will also be sensitised with regards to skilled and non-skilled labour force, transport and other areas where Afghans are dominant.

The government will make strict its border control policy to check return of the refugees while the malpractice by some officials to issue national identity cards to them will also be eliminated.