Afghan migrants urged to go home<\/p>\n
JAKARTA: The International Organization for Migration (IOM)
\nwill begin the voluntary repatriation of Afghan migrants stranded
\nin Indonesia in the next two weeks.<\/p>\n
The repatriation follows an agreement reached between the
\nIndonesian and Afghan authorities, IOM and the UN High Commission
\nfor Refugees on procedures allowing for the voluntary return of
\nundocumented Afghan migrants stranded here en route to Australia.<\/p>\n
Afghan Refugees and Repatriation Minister Enayatullah Nazeri
\nvisited Indonesia to sign the deal last week.<\/p>\n
The migrants will fly from Indonesia to Dubai in IOM-escorted
\ngroups of 30, where they will catch a weekly IOM charter flight
\nto Kabul.<\/p>\n
During his visit here, Nazeri met with over 400 Afghans in
\nthree different locations, where he told them that they were
\nwelcome to return home.<\/p>\n
\"The Minister's visit to the stranded Afghans was a great
\nboost to their morale whether or not they are candidates for an
\nearly return. His presence was a sign that they have not been
\nforgotten,\" said IOM's Country Director in Indonesia Richard
\nDanziger.<\/p>\n
The migrants initially traveled to Indonesia hoping to be
\nsmuggled into Australia. But the recent crackdown on the trade,
\nwhich has seen six major smugglers recently arrested in
\nIndonesia, Thailand and Australia, has drastically reduced the
\nnumber of new arrivals. -- JP<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/afghan-migrants-urged-to-go-home-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}