Afghanistan: Iris-testing proves successful
This is a summary of what was said by UNHCR spokesperson Ron Redmond – to whom quoted text may be attributed – at today's press briefing at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.
Since we introduced state-of-the-art iris recognition tests for refugees seeking assistance to return to Afghanistan a year ago, we have so far seen more than 200,000 Afghans undergo what has proven to be a highly successful means to verify the identities of returnees. The use of the biometric data - unique to each eye - allows us to detect anyone who has previously been "enrolled" in the data base and is trying to seek assistance for a second time, which is not allowed. So far, the system has detected approximately 1,000 people who have tried to claim assistance for a second time. This is in addition to more than 70,000 families that were rejected last year under other screening methods, including more than 20,000 who were trying to recirculate through the system a second time.
Since a successful test project last October in Peshawar, some 202,000 refugees seeking UNHCR assistance under the voluntary repatriation programme have been checked. In July this year we have lowered the age of those tested to six years to ensure children are not being forced to make repeated trips with various adults - an abuse of the assistance programme and a danger to the children. Only those with physical impediments or who are too young to use the equipment are exempt.
This is the first field-use of such non-intrusive technology anywhere in the world. It has performed flawlessly despite the harsh conditions in the heat and dust of Pakistan's border territories with Afghanistan. In addition to fixed locations, UNHCR is operating the equipment with mobile units to ease the return of refugees from remote areas. The actual enrolment process takes only a few seconds from when the returnee sits in front of the camera. Images of the iris, which appear on an adjoining computer screen, are transmitted to the computer server. The system converts the image into a digital code, which is then checked against the entire data base from all of our iris centres to see if there is a duplicate. If the code has not appeared before, the refugee is registered and given clearance to receive an assistance package on arrival in Afghanistan. Returnees are entitled to a travel grant that varies with the distance, several months of WFP food aid and some non-food items like shelter material. If the test reveals that the refugee has been enrolled before - and only about half of one percent are found to be "recyclers" - the person is refused assistance.
No information is recorded that can identify the individual tested - the code describing the iris has no link to the name, age, destination or anything else about the refugee. Since we began facilitating the return of Afghan refugees in early 2002, more than 2.4 million refugees have gone back, including more than 320,000 returnees from Pakistan so far this year.
Meanwhile, UNHCR this week organized the first convoy of internally displaced people returning from southern Afghanistan's Kandahar Province back to their homes in the north. Thirty-six families (189 people) left Kandahar on Monday in 11 vehicles and yesterday reached their villages of origin in Morghab and Gormash areas in Badghis province, in north-western Afghanistan. The returning families will receive agricultural kits (seeds, shovel, sickle, watering can), plastic sheets, tents, lanterns, soap, hygiene cloths, family kits from UNICEF (spoons, bucket, cups, soap, bowl and plates) and WFP wheat flour.
Many of these families fled Badghis nearly two years ago and were staying in Zhare Dasht settlement or makeshift camps in Kandahar. They are all Pashtuns who had been harassed out of their homes following the fall of the Taliban or were caught in factional fighting.
Many more families have expressed their wish to go home this year, but UNHCR could not facilitate their return while fighting was ongoing in Badghis province earlier this year. With tension between factions subsiding in that region and an easing of the tension and drought conditions, UNHCR has begun helping since summer many displaced people to return to Badghis province, mainly from camps to the west in Herat.
UNHCR hopes to continue the voluntary return movements from the south to the north, but there are still specific areas in the north that we cannot recommend due to ongoing conflict between factions or human rights abuses.
There is an estimated 220,000 internally displaced people in Afghanistan, including some 140,000 in the southern provinces.
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 « Return to Afghanistan » matched 3972 results. Only the first 1,000 results are displayed. Displaying page 2 of 112 pages.
-
Afghanistan: return of Kabul internally displaced to begin
5 Mar 2002 ... and the Afghan government on Wednesday will start helping more than 15,000 internally displaced people (IDPs) from Kabul city to return to their homes in the Shomali region of central Afghanistan. ...... -
Returns to Afghanistan
28 Mar 2000 ... Ambar Khana in Batikot district, Nangarhar province, eastern Afghanistan marking the start of this year's repatriation season during which up to 200,000 Afghans could go home from Pakistan and Iran. ...... -
Afghanistan: returns information campaign in north-west
13 Feb 2004 ... The recent commitment by regional power broker General Ahmed Rashid Dostum before Afghanistan's Constitutional Loya Jirga to facilitate the return of internally displaced people to the north is ...... -
Afghanistan: Returns set to top quarter million mark
20 Jun 2003 ... since the fall of the Taliban regime to well over two million. ... security in parts of Afghanistan voiced by many ... With UNHCR recording at least 3,000-5,000 returns per day, the ...... -
Number of voluntary returns to Afghanistan this year tops 100,000
27 Aug 2010 ... KABUL, Afghanistan, August 27 (UNHCR) - The number of people returning voluntarily to Afghanistan from ... of the past few years show, the number of returns can vary significantly from year-to-year. ...... -
UNHCR clears obstacles to return of Afghan refugees
25 Sep 2003 ... of Afghans heading home from Pakistan this year are the first groups repatriating under a UNHCR programme that seeks solutions to specific problems in Afghanistan that had prevented their return. ...... -
Afghanistan: Returns from Pakistan decline with coming winter, insecurity
17 Sep 2002 ... Seven percent in the last two weeks have gone back to eastern Afghanistan, while five percent returned to ... internally displaced persons, is the main reason why so few Afghans return to that area. ...... -
Afghanistan: Returns top 400,000
30 Apr 2002 ... to Afghanistan two months after UNHCR and the Afghan Interim Administration, in collaboration with Pakistan, Iran and Tajikistan, launched an assistance programme for returnees. Returns from ...... -
Returns to Caprivi small-scale but significant, says UNHCR
19 Apr 2005 ... DUKWI CAMP, Botswana, April 19 (UNHCR) - A convoy of 12 may seem minuscule in a world used to seeing mass returns to Afghanistan and Liberia. But as the repatriation of a dozen refugees to Namibia's ......