October 10, 2006

Iran, Afghanistan and UNHCR began two days of discussions in Geneva yesterday on voluntary repatriations to Afghanistan. High Commissioner António Guterres, Minister of the Interior of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Pour Mohammadi and the Minister for Refugees and Repatriation of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, Mohammad Akbar Akbar opened the 11th tripartite commission meeting on voluntary repatriation to Afghanistan. Monday's meeting was also attended by leading donor countries and international organisations.

Guterres paid tribute to the “exceptional solidarity and generosity of the Government and people of Iran for hosting refugees for more than a quarter of a century”. He also commended the Government and people of Afghanistan for their “continuing courage and resilience”.

Following the meeting, the High Commissioner and Minister Pour Mohammadi held bilateral talks, which included discussions for further repatriation, reintegration needs inside Afghanistan, protection concerns, and assistance interventions.

A joint project on a range of assistance projects aimed at improving skills through vocational training programmes was also formally signed. It will provide education and medical assistance for Afghans still in Iran.

As Minister of the Interior, Pour Mohammadi oversees the Bureau for Alien and Foreign Immigrant Affairs (BAFIA), which is UNHCR's main interlocutor in Iran.

For more than a quarter of a century Iran has hosted one of the largest ever populations of refugees and today still hosts some 920,000 registered Afghans and 54,000 Iraqis.

Since 2002, over 1.5 million Afghans have returned home from Iran - 850,000 with UNHCR's assistance. Over 155,000 Afghans have returned without assistance from the voluntary repatriation framework this year.