§ Dr. TongeTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the forced repatriation of Afghans from Pakistan. [118578]
§ Mr. Mike O'BrienWe welcome the return of two million refugees to Afghanistan from Pakistan and Iran. The successful returns programme is a testament to the work of the UN High Commission for Refugees. We also recognise that Pakistan and Iran have in recent44W years shouldered the burden of more than five million Afghan refugees, fleeing from more than two decades of civil war, the Taliban, and four years of drought.
The Afghan Government has limited capacity to absorb returns. Afghanistan therefore needs the support of host countries seeking to return refugees to ensure that those returns are sustainable. This includes ensuring returns to Afghanistan are compliant with the terms of the 1951 UN Refugee Convention, and are carried out with the consent of the Afghan Government.