Sources of information about conditions in Afghanistan for return – by theme

The following sources of information about conditions in Afghanistan may prove helpful for refugees and asylum seekers considering return and to decision makers on return policies and programmes and those seeking to influence them.

The sources are arranged thematically to make it easier to find information that may help to assess whether voluntary returns are likely to be safe and sustainable and to assist preparations for return. The themes themselves are drawn from terms of reference that were developed at the Home Office Voluntary Return Steering Group (VRSG). When discussing the ‘sustainability’ of voluntary return to a particular country of origin, the VRSG members and visiting speakers refer to the following indicators: absence of remigration; physical safety and security; freedom of movement; legal safety and security; housing; work/employment; education and training; and access to basic health services.

Advice

Persons granted asylum or other forms of international protection in the UK are advised to seek legal advice prior to travelling or returning to a country of origin.

Persons seeking asylum in the UK are strongly advised to seek legal advice prior to making an application to return to IOM or to the UKBA. An application for voluntary return may jeopardise an outstanding asylum application.

Migration and displacement

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees’ (UNHCR) Afghanistan pages provide news, information, research and statistics on the country, with particular emphasis on returnee issues.

The Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) was established by the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) and monitors conflict-induced internal displacement world-wide. Information on internal displacement in and returns to Afghanistan can be found on its website.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is an inter-governmental organisation and works closely with governmental, intergovernmental and non-governmental partners in the field of migration. Its Afghanistan pages provide details of the organisation’s work in that country.

Physical safety and security

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has published revised Eligibility Guidelines for Assessing the International Protection Needs of Afghan Asylum Seekers(July 2009) and an Afghanistan Security Update Relating to Complementary Forms of Protection (October 2008)

Amnesty International (AI) is a worldwide movement of people who campaign for internationally recognized human rights. Amnesty International’s collected information on Afghanistan can be accessed from its library pages.

The UK Border Agency’s Country of Origin Information Service (COI Service) seeks to provide accurate, objective, sourced and up-to-date information on asylum seekers' countries of origin, for use by UKBA officials involved in the asylum determination process. Its Country of Origin Information Report for Afghanistan can be found here. The department also issued a Bulletin on the parliamentary and provincial elections held in Afghanistan in September 2005.

Human Rights Watch is a US-based NGO which seeks to protect human rights, prevent discrimination, uphold political freedom, protect people from inhuman conduct in wartime, and to bring offenders to justice. Human Rights Watch’s Afghanistan page contains analyses of the human rights situation in the country.

The International Crisis Group is an NGO that produces analytical reports on significant situations of conflict or potential conflict around the world and makes recommendations which aims to prevent and resolve deadly conflict and which are targeted at key international decision-takers. Its Afghanistan pages contain a database with monthly briefings and other reports about security and other developments in the country.

The US Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC) is a Federal Advisory Committee with a U.S. Government Charter. It monitors and reports on regional security for American businesses operating overseas. Its Afghanistan page can be accessed here.

The Afghanistan pages of the UN’s Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights provide information on the country with respect to its compliance with the provisions of international human rights treaties and monitoring mechanisms.

The Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission is a national and independent Human Rights body in Afghanistan, which was established by Article 58 of the Afghan Constitution "for the purpose of monitoring the observation of human rights in Afghanistan, to promote their advancement and protection.”

Legal safety and security

The International Development Law Organization (IDLO) is an intergovernmental organization dedicated to promoting the rule of law and good governance in developing countries, countries in economic transition and in those emerging from armed conflict. Its Afghanistan pages provide details of IDLO’s work to build up the legal capacity of the country as well as links to Afghan legal frameworks.

The UN Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM)’s Gender and Justice programme for Afghanistan aims to ensure a gender perspective is integrated into all aspects of Afghanistan's legal and judicial reform. To this end, the programme assists government institutions in meeting their international obligation to protect the human rights of men and women equally.

The Afghan Ministry of Justice is the central institution in the executive branch of Afghanistan’s government for upholding the rule of law.

The US Law Library of Congress provides links to information on Afghanistan’s constitutional, executive, judicial and legislative frameworks.

Housing

The World Bank has co-authored a report on the current state (July 2008) of housing finance in Afghanistan.

The Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) has thematic pages dedicated to housing and property issues, as well as country-specific studies

The UN-Habitat Afghanistan pages can be found here.

Work and employment

The Microfinance Investment and Support Facility, Afghanistan was set up into 2003 at the invitation of the Afghan government to pool diverse donor funding mechanisms and convert them into support to microfinance institutions in Afghanistan, tailored to local priorities and accompanied by technical assistance and performance monitoring.

The International Labour Organization’s NATLEX database contains information on the employment laws of countries worldwide. Its Afghanistan page can be found here and details of the work carried out in Afghanistan by its sub-regional office are available here.

The World Bank’s overview of conditions for labour and social protection in Afghanistan can be found here.

The UN Development Programme’s Promotion of Sustainable Livelihoods Programme provides training, employment and investment opportunities that assist Afghan communities to continue the physical reconstruction of their country.

The UN Jobs website collates details of vacancies with various UN agencies worldwide. Vacancies in Afghanistan can be found via its Duty Station page.

Education and training

The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO) Afghanistan pages provide details of its work in the country, as well information about education services generally.

The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Afghanistan pages give an overview of its activities in the country. The Statistics section charts Afghanistan’s progress against a range of indicators, while the Resources page provides links to ‘best estimate’ factsheets on each of the country’s 32 provinces.

The World Bank’s Education in Afghanistan page provides information on projects and events designed to improve education and skills development in the country.

The Afghanistan Ministry of Education website contains detailed information about national education policy, schools infrastructure, scholarships as well as access to curriculum materials in Dari and Pashto covering a variety of subjects for Grades 1-12.

The Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) has produced a report on the situation of children in Afghanistan, which includes a section on access to education .

Health services

The World Health Organization’s Afghanistan country page provides information on health indicators, prevalent diseases and healthcare provision in the country.

The International Medical Corps is a global, humanitarian, organization dedicated to saving lives and relieving suffering through healthcare training and relief and development programs. Its Afghanistan pages provide details of its healthcare initiatives in the country.

The Afghan Ministry of Public Health website can be found here.

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has links to information on health and healthcare provision. Go to its Data Online for Population, Health & Nutrition (DOLPHN) page for links to a country profile and a breakdown of health statistics.

The UN Food & Population Agency (UNFPA) has produced a factsheet on Reproductive Health Indicators for Afghanistan.

Merlin is a UK charity which responds worldwide with health care and medical relief for vulnerable people caught up in natural disasters, conflict, disease and health system collapse. Its Afghanistan pages can be found here.