ISLAMABAD, March 7: The United Nation High Commissioner for Refugees will facilitate voluntary return of about 250,000 Afghan refugees to their country in 2007.

A spokesman for the refugee agency told Dawn that currently there are 2.4 million Afghan refugees living in Pakistan while 2.18 million of them had been issued proof of registration cards and they are allowed to stay in Pakistan for three years. It is, however, in their interest to return willingly within this period for which the UNHCR will provide an assistance package on their landing in Afghanistan. According to a decision of the Pakistan government, after April 15, Afghans without registration cards will be considered illegal immigrants and dealt according to local laws.

Pakistan has been stressing on the Afghan refugees to return and warned that it might use force if voluntary return was obstructed.

Refugees possessing registration cards have been asked to approach the UNHCR for their safe return to their country from April 16 and Nov 15, 2007.

Referring to their settlement in Afghanistan, the spokesman said the Afghan government has planned to set up about 50 to 100 small towns for the returnees.

He said that here were 200,000 Afghan refugees who had not applied for registration cards, adding that they were given a six-week period, between March 15 and April 15 to approach the UNHCR. Within this period, they will still be entitled to the agency’s assistance.

According to the spokesman, the repatriation process would be in two phases: one for those possessing registration cards and the other for people without the cards.