June 08, 2007

BBC NEWS | South Asia | Expelled from Iran - refugee misery


BBC NEWS | South Asia | Expelled from Iran - refugee misery
: "The queues of refugees start to pour over the border shortly from first thing in the morning - as they have been doing for the last month.

Ninety thousand people have so far been forcibly returned to Afghanistan from Iran since 21 April, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

Every hour or so another bus arrives on the Iranian side, the people are unloaded, carrying the few possessions they had when they were arrested.

A policeman meets them on the Afghanistan side, and they join a long line of people waiting to pick up the few pieces of charity an aid agency has gathered for them.

They get water, biscuits and a bundle of clothes. They can also make a free phone call to relatives to let them know where they are.

Then they get a free 120 km bus trip from the border post to the city of Herat where they are left to start all over again in a country where they used to live." Read complete post here.