PESHAWAR, July 11: The voluntary repatriation of Afghan refugees has slowed down, apparently because of the planned registration programme that guarantees them a further three years’ stay in Pakistan.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said on Tuesday that 100,000 Afghan refugees, out of a total 2.6 million in Pakistan, had gone back to their homeland since March.

“Certainly, the repatriation process has lost steam, which may be because of the proposed registration programme,” said UNHCR official Rabia Ali.

The commission had planned to facilitate some 400,000 Afghans to return home in 2006. The target has now been revised to 300,000 due to a lukewarm response by refugees.

The tripartite commission comprising Pakistan, Afghanistan and UNHCR had agreed to conduct registration of the remaining Afghans in Pakistan.

The process to be carried out by the National Database and Registration Authority with the help of the UNHCR and the Afghan government is likely to start in October. Under the programme only ‘genuine’ refugees will be allowed to stay in Pakistan for another three years.

The commission met in Doha last month and agreed to give one-year extension to Jallozai camp and to close the sprawling Kacha Garhi camp. However, inhabitants of the Kacha Garhi camp have refused to abide by the commission’s decision.

Sources said the government had asked the refugees to vacate the camp by the end of July.