Afghanistan BORDER MONITORING UPDATE COVID-19 RESPONSE 11 - 17 October 2020 UNHCR partner staff providing health services to a returnee, Jalalabad Encashment Center, Nangarhar, Afghanistan September 2020 UNHCR/ N. Akseer Since 01 January, UNHCR assisted the return of 1,402 Afghan refugees from Pakistan (693), Iran (660) and 1,402 other countries (49) including Tajikistan, India, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, and the Russian Federation, under its AFGHAN REFUGEES facilitated voluntary repatriation programme. After a temporary suspension of voluntary repatriation between RETURNED TO AFGHANISTAN 04 March and 29 April due to COVID-19, UNHCR resumed its facilitated voluntary repatriation of Afghan refugees from Iran as of 30 April and from Pakistan and other countries as of 10 August. Refugee returnees receive a multi-purpose cash grant (on average USD 250 per person) and other services 644,120 at Encashment Centers (ECs) located in Herat, Kandahar, Kabul, and Nangarhar provinces. UNHCR’s cash UNDOCUMENTED grants to refugee returnees are intended to prevent, reduce, and respond to immediate protection risks and AFGHANS RETURNED vulnerabilities upon return to Afghanistan. FROM IRAN AND PAKISTAN According to MoRR/IOM, during the weeks of 11 - 17 October, the total number of undocumented returnees from Iran was 21,762 (14,416 spontaneous returnees and 7,346 deportees) and from Pakistan was 78 (58 35,349 spontaneous returnees and 20 deportees). Since 01 January, the total number of undocumented returnees is INTERVIEWS WITH 644,120 individuals, including 638,733 from Iran (401,228 spontaneous returnees and 237,505 deportees) and RETURNEES FROM IRAN 5,387 from Pakistan (4,940 spontaneous returnees and 447 deportees). AND PAKISTAN During the week, regular population movements continued through Spin Boldak and Torkham crossing points to/from Afghanistan. F 25% Since 21 August, Spin Boldak crossing point has been open seven days a week for pedestrians and commercial trucks. As of 25 August, Torkham border has been open on Mondays and Tuesdays for refugee M returnee movements to Afghanistan. Furthermore, on 28 September the Government of Pakistan decided that 75% the Torkham and other crossing points with Afghanistan located in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will be open for pedestrian traffic on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. BORDER MONITORING UPDATE | COVID-19 RESPONSE Afghanistan 17 October 2020 BORDER MONITORING In line with UNHCR’s protection monitoring objectives, and in the context of increased incidence of COVID-19 across the territory of Afghanistan, UNHCR made the decision to expand its protection and return monitoring activities to the official entry points with Iran (Islam Qala and Zaranj/Milak crossing points) and with Pakistan (Spin Boldak/Chaman and Torkham), when open for pedestrian movements. Through maintaining a consistent presence at these zero points, UNHCR aims to ensure efficient, timely and systematic gathering of protection information from Afghan returnees. Between 11 - 17 October, 2,110 interviews, including 1,529 male and 581 female respondents, were carried out with returnees from Iran (1,404) and Pakistan (706). Since the start of border monitoring on 05 April, a total of 35,349 returnees and deportees (26,496 M and 8,853 F) were interviewed as they entered Afghanistan from Iran at Islam Qala (14,363) and Zaranj/Milak (13,926), and from Pakistan at Spin Boldak/Chaman (5,747) and Torkham (1,313), including 25,766 single individuals and 9,583 heads of households who returned with their families. It should be noted that because of the border restrictions, returnees from Pakistan are mainly passport/ID holders. The sample size for Torkham is limited as the border was open only once per week for pedestrian movements until late September. Note: The female sample size is small because there is a high proportion of single males among the returnees/deportees from Iran. Respondents (%) by Entry Point Respondents’ Return Status by Respondents’ Age and Gender Gender Total Female Male Spin Boldak 0.3% Female 12-17 44.3% 16.3% 6.2% Male Deportee 14.9% 85.1% Torkham 35.6% 3.7% Spontaneous 14.5% 33.7% 18-34 returnee 58.2% 66.3% 12.3% Tazkira/ token 43.3% holder 8.1% 56.7% 35-59 9.8% 7.1% Passport 11.6% holder 88.4% Zaranj/ Milak Islam Qala 60 39.4% 2.1% 0.7% 40.6% and VRF holder 43.5% over 0.7% 56.5% Years Spent in the CoPR Reason for entry to CoPR Sources of Information about Iran Pakistan COVID-19 in Iran & Pakistan Less 67.0% In search of 78.9% than 1 46.6% employment 11.3% TV year 81.6% 22.0% 10.7% Conflict 32.5% 8.2% Radio 1 - 5 25.8% 23.9% 4.0% years 2.7% Family visit Mosque/ 26.7% 13.5% religious 2.5% 16.9% To move to Turkey leaders 3.4% & onward to Europe 6 - 10 0.4% Local 5.4% years 3.7% 1.3% community 21.7% Drought 1.8% Community 1.7% More 3.1% For medical 1.3% leaders 14.5% than 10 treatment 33.4% years 7.1% 0.9% Information 0.2% Business leaflet 4.6% 0.8% Born in 0.8% Iran 0.4% 0.1% Iran CoPR 4.8% Other Other Pakistan 13.7% 0.2% Pakistan www.unhcr.org 2 BORDER MONITORING UPDATE | COVID-19 RESPONSE Afghanistan 17 October 2020 Situation in Country of Prior Residence (CoPR) - Iran and Pakistan Interviewed Returnees from Iran (Islam Qala and Zaranj/Milak): 55% deportees, 37% spontaneous returnees, 7% passport holders and 1% VRF holders; 34% of the interviewed VRF holders, 22% spontaneous returnees, 15% of deportees, and 6% of passport holders were female; 93% of the interviewed returnees stated that they returned from nine provinces in Iran: Tehran, Sistan va Baluchestan, Kerman, Fars, Esfahan, Khorasan Razavi, Khuzistan, Yazd, and Hormozgan; 67% of the respondents spent less than one year in Iran, among whom 15% stated that they spent less than a week, 31% around a month, 24% 1-6 months, and 30% over 6 months; 79% went to Iran in search of livelihoods opportunities, 11% due to conflict, 4% to visit family/relatives, 3% (mainly deportees) to move to Turkey and onward to Europe, 1% due to drought, 1% for medical treatment, and 1% for other reasons; 33% (9,392 respondents) claimed that they faced problems during the COVID-19 outbreak, such as lost work/wages, movement restrictions related to the lockdown, lack of access to medical services, discrimination/stigmatization by local communities, pressure by authorities to leave for Afghanistan, and lack of access to markets; 94% of the respondents stated that they had received information about COVID-19 in Iran through TV, radio and local communities; 9% of interviewed deportees stated that they did not receive information about COVID-19 in Iran; this figure is much lower among passport holders (4%), spontaneous returnees (1%) and VRF holders (1%); 46% (12,926 respondents) claimed that they had paid a municipality (return) tax (100,000 – 500,000 IRR/ approximately USD 7-35); 22% claimed that they faced problems during return: high transportation/ travel costs, fee charged at detention center, limited transportation services to reach the border, overcrowded situation in the bus stations, or bribe required to pass police check point. Interviewed Returnees from Pakistan (Spin Boldak and Torkham): 62% were Tazkira/token holders1, 29% spontaneous returnees, 8% passport holders, and 1% VRF holders and deportees; 97% of the interviewed spontaneous returnees, 64% of VRF holders, 43% of Tazkira/token holders, 31% of passport holders were female; 73% of the interviewed returnees stated that they returned from Baluchistan, 16% from KPK, 8% Sindh, 2% Punjab, and 1% from Islamabad; 82% spent less than a year in Pakistan, among whom 15% stated that they spent less than a week, 52% around a month, 23% 1-6 months, and 10% over 6 months; 33% went to Pakistan for medical treatment, 27% to visit family/relatives, 11% in search of livelihoods opportunities, 8% due to conflict, 5% for business purpose, 2% due to drought, and 14% cited other reasons; 32% (2,262 respondents) claimed that they faced problems during the COVID-19 outbreak, mainly lost work/wages, movement restrictions due to the lockdown, lack of access to markets, and lack of access to medical services; 75% stated that they had received information about COVID-19 in Pakistan, mainly through TV, radio, mosque/ religious leaders and local communities. This figure has declined compared to August (87%), July (94%), and June (95%); 10% claimed that they faced problems during return: overcrowded bus stations, high transportation/ travel costs, limited transportation services to reach the border, or bribe required to pass police check point. Reasons for Return to Afghanistan2 (Spontaneous returnees, VRF holders, and Passport/ID holders) Reunite with family members in Afghanistan 44.4% 44.8% No employment opportunities in CoPR 18.0% 8.2% Fear of COVID-19 13.3% 7.1% 7.5% High cost of living/ high rent in CoPR 0.6% 2.7% Denied access to health facilities 10.1% 1.0% Threat of detention /forced quarantine 13.8% 0.8% Discrimination by local community 0.6% 0.8% Fear of arrest and/or deportation 3.0% 0.3% Abuse by police or state authorities Iran 0.9% 11.1% Other Pakistan 10.9% 1 This category are those Afghans who live along the border area in Afghanistan and normally move back and forth to Pakistan and Afghanistan frequently. 2 The “other” category includes: to obtain passports/visas, family gatherings (marriage, funeral, etc.), and the start of the agriculture season in Afghanistan. www.unhcr.org 3 Afghanistan BORDER MONITORING UPDATE | COVID-19 RESPONSE 17 October 2020 In July, UNHCR revised its border monitoring tool to collect deportation reasons as well as intentions of returnees and deportees after their arrival in Afghanistan to better assess deportations trends.