Employment Plans Discussed For Returning Afghan Refugees

KABUL (Pajhwok): Acting Minister of Refugees and Repatriation Maulvi Abdul Kabir says the forced deportation of Afghan refugees from Iran has affected the country's economic and social situation.

He emphasised the importance of utilising the skills and education of returnees to create employment opportunities.

The Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation (MoRR) posted on its X account that the Employment Committee for Returnees recently held its scheduled meeting.

The committee includes representatives from the Ministry of Economy (MoE), the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI), the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock (MoAIL), the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (MoLSA), and MoRR.

During the meeting, Maulvi Abdul Kabir highlighted that the forced return of a significant number of refugees had adversely affected Afghanistan's economy and society.

He stressed that the skills and qualifications of returnees should be harnessed to generate employment opportunities.

He called on relevant institutions to enhance the employment capacity of returnees and assist them in completing their unfinished education, enabling them to become active members of society.

He also urged the MoE and MoCI to prioritise returnees in their operations and agreements, with a focus on strengthening the rural economy.

Addressing the meeting, Acting Minister of Labour and Social Affairs, Mullah Abdul Manan Omari, said that several returnees had already been introduced to government departments for employment.

Omari added:“Returnees possess significant skills in agriculture, livestock, industry, and commerce, and some hold postgraduate degrees in religious and modern sciences.”

Meanwhile, Acting Minister of Commerce and Industry Nooruddin Azizi said his ministry would provide job opportunities to thousands of people annually under its five-year plan, with a particular focus on supporting small businesses owned by returnees.

Azizi noted that the Islamic Emirate had allocated the necessary land to the MoCI, which would be distributed to industrialists.

MoRR added that, at the conclusion of the meeting, proposals aimed at accelerating and enhancing the effectiveness of the Employment Committee's work were reviewed, and decisions were made on several matters to improve job opportunities for returnees.

Earlier, Deputy Prime Minister for Administrative Affairs, Maulvi Abdul Salam Hanafi, said that half a million Afghan refugees had returned from Iran in June alone.

He said that currently, up to 30,000 Afghans were being forcibly repatriated daily from the neighbouring country through Islam Qala in Herat and approximately 10,000 through the Abrasham crossing in Nimroz.

On Tuesday, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) representative in Afghanistan, Arafat Jamal, announced that the agency had allocated 10 million US dollars in cash assistance to support returnees.

kk/sa

MENAFN16072025000174011037ID1109807017