First return of Afghans from non-bordering country

The first group of Afghan refugees left Kyrgyzstan in Central Asia for their homeland on Monday. The Bishkek Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) told IRIN on Tuesday that this was the first organised repatriation of Afghans from a country that does not share a border with Afghanistan. Many among the group of returnees are prominent people in their communities. For example, one has been assigned responsibility for transportation matters in his home region, while another has been selected to take part in the Loya Jirga (Grand Council). "Although we are talking about 33 returnees in the first instance, the will to return home is very, very strong," James Lynch, head of UNHCR in Kyrgyzstan, told IRIN from the capital Bishkek. About 200 more Afghan citizens were expected to return to Afghanistan from Kyrgyzstan by the end of 2002, he added. The Afghans were provided with transport and all-important transit visas by UNHCR and each refugee will get 150 kg of food plus aid in Afghanistan from international organisations for housing. Lynch pointed out that the successful repatriation had been complicated by the fact that four countries had been involved in the exercise. "For the returnees, its a 24-hour journey transiting through Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan before reaching Afghanistan. It has been very difficult to organise, but we got good cooperation all round," he said. "Today is one of the happiest days in my life," Said Burhan, an Afghan returnee, told UNHCR just before departure. These first returnees, who had to leave Afghanistan in the wake of the civil war and resettled in Kyrgyzstan nearly five years ago, decided to return on their own. According to UNHCR there are about 2,000 Afghans in Kyrgyzstan, 800 of which have official refugee status. Although most Afghans have integrated well, with most holding jobs, there has been strong pressure on the refugee agency to facilitate repatriation ahead of next week's Loya Jirga meeting in the Afghan capital Kabul when a new government will be selected to steer Afghanistan through the next phase of reconstruction. All those returning have expressed their eagerness to return home and take an active part in the reconstruction process. Preparations are currently under way for the return of a second group of 30 refugees.