Afghan "recyclers" under scrutiny of new technology
The UN refugee agency has started testing iris-recognition technology at Takhtabaig Voluntary Repatriation Centre in Pakistan to detect people who are making multiple claims for the agency's repatriation assistance.
PESHAWAR, Pakistan, October 3 (UNHCR) - Afghan refugees eyeing a second helping of UNHCR's repatriation assistance have hit a blind spot with the arrival of state-of-the-art iris-recognition technology in Pakistan.
The UN refugee agency this week started testing an iris-recognition system among Afghan refugees in Peshawar as an additional measure to prevent the "recycling" of individuals seeking the multiple disbursement of its return assistance package. Starting Monday, all Afghans aged above 16 registering to go home at Takhtabaig Voluntary Repatriation Centre (VRC) have to go through an iris check before proceeding to other verification and registration steps as part of a month-long test of the new technology.
Based on the fact that each human iris is unique, a photographic image of the iris is captured ("enrolled") with a standard camera using near-invisible infrared light, converted into digital format and stored. It takes only about one second to match an enrolled iris against the database, thereby checking whether the same person has been recorded before.
On Monday, UNHCR scanned more than 1,500 potential returnees at Takhtabaig. Two refugees who had sought assistance twice on the same day were detected by the iris technology. When further checks revealed that they had already received assistance earlier this year, they were told to leave the VRC.
Of the more than 500 Afghans scanned on Tuesday, 13 were rejected by the iris check. One woman who was turned away admitted she had been through the process eight times. Her husband had forced her and their five children to come back again and again to try and get another cash grant. She expressed her gratitude for the new technology, hoping it would make her husband give up the exhausting exercise.
"The overwhelming majority of those who have received travel assistance were refugees intent on returning to Afghanistan," said Hasim Utkan, head of UNHCR in Pakistan. "But there were some who tried to take advantage of the system, seeking funds more than once that are needed to help those genuinely going back to their homeland."
He added, "If this test proves successful, we will be able to add iris technology to our existing checks and ensure that only Afghan refugees moving back to their country receive travel assistance."
Under the joint UNHCR-Afghan government voluntary repatriation programme, every individual returning to Afghanistan receives transport assistance ranging from $5 to $30 - depending on his final destination - a UNHCR family kit with plastic tarpaulin, soap and hygiene items, as well as wheat flour from the World Food Programme (WFP).
The iris-recognition technology being tested in Peshawar will enhance UNHCR's ability to identify genuine returnees entitled to the one-time return assistance package. This new method complements existing verification efforts like interviewing potential returnees and examining their family photos.
Since March, the UN refugee agency has helped more than 1.5 million Afghans return home from Pakistan. It has also turned away more than 396,000 "recyclers", or false claimants. Verification efforts have already saved UNHCR more than $8 million in travel assistance, plus the cost of more than 72,000 family kits. It has also saved thousands of tons of WFP food aid for more needy returnees.
Aid workers operating the machines believe that the new technology will simplify the challenge of having to weed out "recyclers" intent only on collecting the relief aid.
"Previously when we registered people, we had to recognise refugees we might have seen before. It was very hard. People would say that we were not treating refugees fairly, and you could really doubt your own judgement," said UNHCR's Rifaat Tajik. "This will make it much better. How can they argue now, the machine can't make a mistake."
The iris checks, equipped by Iridian Technologies, will take place over a month, during which UNHCR hopes to scan up to 120,000 individuals. The whole exercise will cost the agency about $2 per person.
The technology is entirely safe and involves no risk to the eye. As a further safeguard, the digital code for each iris is stored without any personal information, like the identity of the individual, so that it cannot be used for any purpose other than detecting false claimants.
Refugees at Tahktabaig have been very co-operative and have adapted to the new verification technology without causing a fuss.
Gulam, the head of one refugee family, said with a smile as his wife had her iris photographed, "I first heard about the new tests while I was waiting outside today. I was a bit nervous at first, but now that I've done it, I see it's fine. It's very good."
When asked if she had any concerns about the machine, a middle-aged woman who had just had her iris photographed said she was too busy taking care of children to be a "recycler". "I have beautiful eyes," she laughed, flicked her scarf over her shoulder and walked away, grandchild in tow.
Related news and stories
Women-run businesses in Afghanistan dealt a blow by deepening restrictions
UNHCR launches new appeal for Afghan refugees and hosts, urging partners to stay the course
I had to flee for my education, but refused to leave other Afghan girls to their fate
Former refugee, now volunteer teacher, helps other Afghan girls get an education
Families struggle for survival during Afghanistan's coldest winter in a decade
Afghan women affected by Taliban bans on work and study fear for their futures
Your search for « waiting to go home » matched 1179 results. Only the first 1,000 results are displayed. Displaying page 27 of 112 pages.
-
Neil Gaiman launches crowdsourced animated film to help raise funds for Syrian refugees battling freezing temperatures and icy winds amid threat of Covid-19
7 Dec 2020 ... ... She said: “With tens of thousands of families still unable to go home, or no longer having homes to ... Frost on the ground that stays in the shadows, waiting for us. Wear a scarf. Wear a coat. Wear a ...... -
Refugees Magazine Issue 130: Sri Lanka - The Road to Recovery
2 Apr 2003 ... ... Returning home in 1989. But the war would soon start again. UNHCR WILL CONTINUE TO OFFER LEGAL ... The agency will assist hundreds of thousands of IDPs and refugees still waiting to go back to their ...... -
Evaluation of UNHCR's policy on refugees in urban areas: A case study review of Cairo
1 Jun 2001 ... ... of asylum seekers are waiting for the processing of ... refugee organisations, and home visits were conducted to refugee families from ... As a result, many children have ceased to go to school and ...... -
UNHCR chief Guterres calls for scaled-up aid effort inside Somalia
30 Aug 2011 ... and thirst during the 15-day trek from her home to Dollow. "I will go back when there is rain," she insisted. ... But increasing numbers, particularly farmers, are reluctant to leave Somalia, waiting ...... -
UNHCR appeals for new funds for more than 1.7 million displaced Pakistanis
22 May 2009 ... fire and fighting near his home wouldn't last long. "We ... the mountain to Jalozai Camp where they now sit waiting for peace to return. ... he would still prefer to go back to his village. "Before ...... -
Argentina and other South American countries opening their doors to refugees
16 Apr 2007 ... this year to also start accepting small numbers of refugees referred by UNHCR because they cannot go back home or integrate in their host ... Mauricio is waiting to hear from a construction company about ...... -
Pakistan camp doubles in size as more Kaghan Valley villagers arrive
9 Nov 2005 ... "We were desperately waiting for the roads to clear," he said, finally restarting the engine. "Now we will go to find our relatives in ... Located in Balakot, Ghari Habibullah camp - already home to more ...... -
Syrian villagers open their doors to mass arrival of Lebanese refugees
8 Aug 2006 ... ... "We want to go home, but we don't know how long we still have to stay here. This situation is becoming ... He and his friends say they have considered returning without waiting for a ceasefire but their ...... -
Hundreds of Afghans in Tajikistan accepted for resettlement in Canada
18 Nov 2004 ... They will be back early next year to examine any files still waiting. It ... who can never go home, such as Mavlavizoda, who knows the people who killed his brothers would do the same to him if he ......