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The many roads home from Iran to Afghanistan
30 May 2007 Amid the deportation of undocumented Afghans from Iran, two other return movements are taking place in parallel - the UNHCR-assisted voluntary repatriation of registered Afghan refugees and the government-organized spontaneous return of undocumented Afghan migrants illegally in Iran. -
German foreign minister explores situation of Afghans in Pakistan
29 May 2007 German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier has visited UNHCR's voluntary repatriation centre in north-western Pakistan to observe Afghans returning home and explore how Germany and the international community can help to manage this population. -
Words of support for UNHCR as Kite Runner author publishes new novel
22 May 2007 Acclaimed author Khaled Hosseini has praised the UN refugee agency in his second novel, A Thousand Splendid Suns. His first novel, The Kite Runner, has had a powerful impact on raising awareness about Afghan refugees. -
Pakistani Minister Rind hands UNHCR cheque for Afghan repatriation
9 May 2007 Pakistan's Federal Minister for States and Frontier Regions Sardar Yar Muhammad Rind on Wednesday presented High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres with a cheque worth the equivalent of US$5 million to help Afghan refugees return to their country. -
Registration report offers insight into Afghans in Pakistan
3 May 2007 The Pakistan government and UNHCR have released a report based on a recently-concluded registration of Afghan citizens in Pakistan. The findings shed light on the demographic profile of the population, their needs and plans for the future. -
Afghan returnees still in limbo after two harsh winters
23 Apr 2007 Two winters after their camps were closed in Pakistan's restive tribal areas, thousands of Afghan returnees in south-eastern Afghanistan have been allocated land in a township in Paktya. However, many others are still sleeping in the open while thousands more are living with host families as they wait for land. -
UNHCR struggles to find solutions for Afghan asylum seekers in Russia
17 Apr 2007 Afghans constitute the largest number of asylum seekers in Russia but many have failed to gain refugee status and need other solutions. Unable to return to Afghanistan and denied refugee status in Russia, Afghan asylum seekers see resettlement as their only hope. -
UNHCR helps more than 200,000 unregistered Afghans return home as deadline passes
16 Apr 2007 A grace period for unregistered Afghans to return home from Pakistan ended at the weekend with more than 200,000 Afghans recorded as having repatriated with UNHCR assistance. -
Afghan returnees from Pakistan cross 3 million mark
10 Apr 2007 Three million Afghans have returned from Pakistan, but more than two million remain, a protracted situation that can only be resolved with continued international support.