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Kabul Opposes Forced Return of Refugees
Wednesday, September 25, 2002
(16:32 GMT) (17:32 UK)
By Pam O'Toole
BBC Eurasia analyst

Afghans face shortages of basic facilities at home.
Image Credit: The Associated Press.

Britain is one of several developed countries to have introduced a scheme of its own, offering many Afghan asylum seekers grants to encourage them to go home and rebuild their lives.



But it has also indicated that it is moving towards the forcible return of failed asylum seekers who refuse to go back voluntarily.



Afghanistan's minister for refugees has called on Britain and other European countries not to force asylum seekers back to Afghanistan.

Enayetullah Nazeri is in Europe for talks with Britain and France to try to finalise tripartite agreements with them and the UN refugee agency on the voluntary return of Afghan asylum seekers from these countries.

But speaking to the BBC after talks with a British Home Office minister, Mr Nazeri warned against any attempts to pressurise people into returning immediately.

He said such pressure would only increase pressure on Afghanistan's overstretched transitional administration led by President Hamid Karzai.

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2002 © The British Broadcasting Corporation.

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