1,125 individuals repatriated to Afghanistan in 2020. UNHCR also followed up on non-Afghan voluntary repatriation in 2020 and managed to assist six Somali applicants to return safely in 2020.
In June 2020, an Intention Return Survey was conducted in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa targeting 1,200 Afghan refugees and asylum-seekers through telephonic interviews. Survey results indicated that few of the Afghan refugees (5%) were planning to return to Afghanistan in 2020, 19% were planning to return in 2021 and 76% were planning to return after 2021. The main concerns affecting refugees’ decisions to return were unstable security conditions, lack of housing and shelter, lack of jobs/livelihoods opportunities and access to basic services in Afghanistan.
Regular virtual cross-border coordination between UNHCR offices in Pakistan and Afghanistan was strengthened to ensure timely updates and information sharing on voluntary repatriation developments and challenges. Mass information campaigns on voluntary repatriation operation and updates on the Torkham border situation continued throughout the year through UNHCR, Commissionerate for Afghan Refugees (CAR), The Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation (MoRR), Society for Human Rights and Prisoners’ Aid (SHARP) field outreach, Protection Helplines and voluntary repatriation call centres.
UNHCR also continued to enhance border monitoring activities at the Afghanistan- Pakistan border through the regular presence of UNHCR border monitors. Regular contacts and coordination were maintained with entities including Government departments such as customs, immigration, security, and other organizations such as IOM and UNICEF to ensure that assisted refugees and undocumented family members return in safety and dignity.