KABUL (BNA): The European Union has pledged €142 million to assist Afghan refugees who are returning or deported from other countries, according to the Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation Affairs.
The announcement came after a meeting between Khalil Rahman Haqqani, the Acting Minister of Refugees and Repatriation, and Raffaella Iodice, the EU Chargée d’Affaires to Afghanistan, at the Ministry’s headquarters.
The two sides discussed the situation of Afghan refugees in Pakistan, Turkey, and Iran, and the challenges they face due to forced repatriation.
Haqqani urged the host countries to respect the human rights and dignity of the refugees and to refrain from confiscating their assets and properties illegally.
Haqqani also requested the EU’s cooperation in providing shelter, tents, and food for the returnees, and assured them of the transparency and accountability of the humanitarian efforts.
Iodice appreciated the timely and effective management of the returnees by the Ministry and called for more coordination with the International Organization for Migration and UNHCR.
She confirmed the EU’s commitment to continue supporting the Ministry and the returnees. She also said that she would visit the border areas of Afghanistan to monitor the situation of the returnees in the near future.
Bakhtar
