Mashhad, Khorassan prov, Oct 25, IRNA -- Spokesman for UN High
Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCR) in Iran Dina Faramarzi said
in Mashhad on Monday that since the beginning of the UN sponsored program for
volunteer return of the Afghan refugees 1,860,000 of them have
returned home.
Faramarzi told IRNA that in 2004, more than 440,440 Afghan
refugees have returned to their homeland.
Interior Ministry's figure point to 2.5 million Afghans settling
in Iran during the two decade of devastating war in the country.
According to a tripartite agreement signed between Iran, the
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the Afghan
transitional government in 2002, over 19,000 Afghans have returned to
their homeland from this province since the start of the current
Iranian calendar year of 1383 (March 20, 2004).
In September, Managing Director of International Organization for
Migration (IOM) said Iran has been plenty generous towards its Afghan
and Iraqi refugees.
Speaking at the organization's Tehran office Brunson Mckinley told
reporters that "Iran has bore significant burden in extending shelter
and other assistance despite insufficient international relief."
He referred to "effective cooperation by the organization and
Iran" in holding seminars on migrants and refugees affairs, combating
human trafficking, cooperation on repatriation of refuges from Iran
and assistance to Iranian expatriates in returning to their homeland.
Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Nasser Khaleqi has called for
expediting of repatriation of Afghan and Iraqi refugees to their
homelands.
In a meeting with Mckinley, Khaleqi appreciated the cooperation
the organization has rendered to Iran on refugees issues.
Elsewhere in his talks, Khaleqi said that the establishment of the
academic bureau of the IOM in Iran would promote the level of
cooperation between Iran and that organization.
... Payvand News - 10/26/04 ... --
