Kabir, IOM officials discuss support for returnees

KABUL (Pajhwok): The Acting Minister of Refugees and Repatriation Maulvi Abdul Kabir and officials from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) have discussed measures to prevent the forced deportation of Afghan refugees.

Maulvi Kabir also called on the organisation to support the construction of permanent shelters for returnees.

According to a statement from the Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation (MoRR), Kabir met with Mohammed Abdiker, Chief of Staff at IOM, along with a delegation accompanying him.

The meeting was also attended by Eiori Kato, IOM’s Regional Director for Asia, and Mihyung Park, the organisation’s Chief of Mission in Afghanistan.

The ministry said that discussions focused on strengthening future cooperation and supporting Afghan refugees.

During the meeting, Maulvi Abdul Kabir reiterated his call to end the forced deportation of Afghan refugees and emphasised the need to safeguard their assets and possessions.

He noted that Afghan citizens would remain dependent on international humanitarian aid until they could achieve self-sufficiency.

He also urged the international community to provide support for building permanent shelters, warning that the challenges facing returnees would worsen with the onset of winter.

Mohammed Abdiker, for his part, said that the purpose of his visit to Kabul was to find solutions to the difficulties faced by returning Afghan refugees and to mobilise additional financial resources.

He added that the IOM was coordinating with other agencies to address the needs of returnees and described the efforts of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan in this regard as effective.

Referring to his recent visit to Herat, Abdiker said he would share detailed information regarding the situation of returnee and internally displaced families with UN officials and international donors.