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PESHAWAR, Nov 26 (APP):The phase-wise closure of Afghan refugee camps across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has entered its final stage, with several more camps expected to be vacated within the next two weeks.
According to official sources on Wednesday, a total of 42 refugee camps were established in the province. Seven of these have already been shut down, while the closure schedule for the remaining camps is progressing rapidly.
Authorities have issued formal notices for 35 camps and the interior department staff is informing residents about alternative arrangements.
Officials confirmed that the process of evacuating and shutting down the camps has already begun and more camps are likely to be completely vacated by next week.
For decades, these camps housed over 500,000 Afghan refugees. However, due to security concerns and administrative challenges, the federal government has decided to conduct a comprehensive screening of refugees and is considering a possible operation across the province.
Under a federal strategy, relevant departments will initiate the first phase of actions and coordination with the provincial government has already taken place.
It is expected that the upcoming Apex Committee meeting will present strict recommendations regarding the refugee policy.