UNHCR 'ready to help Tajikistan' swiftly over Afghan refugee influx

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is prepared to help Tajikistan manage its Afghan refugee crisis in case of the influx on the borders, a public relations adviser to the UNHCR in Tajikistan said, according to ANI. This would include building temporary makeshift camps for the accommodation, Nodira Akbaralieva stated, adding that the situation in Kabul has been highly unpredictable in terms of refugee infiltration since the US troop withdrawal on Aug. 31. 

The UN official stressed that the number of people who may arrive in Tajikistan is predictably large. “If there is an influx of refugees, we can quickly respond and engage our inter-agency refugee emergency response plan and assist the government in accepting and accommodating refugees, including through the establishment of refugee camps," Akbaralieva said.

Outlining that the UN recognizes the sovereign prerogative of the states to decide where the refugees shall be accommodated, Akbaralieva further said that in the event of the massive influx of the Afghan refugees, states such as Tajikistan can pitch alternative ways to divert those refugees elsewhere in the world. And the UNHCR, she stated, can be an advocate for that settlement regime. 

"In any case, the provision of asylum to refugees is part of the international obligations of the countries participating in the 1951 UN Refugee Convention. In this regard, UNHCR calls on states, including Tajikistan, to provide access to the territory for asylum seekers and not to send back refugees or asylum seekers, including those who have been denied refugee status," Akbaralieva was quoted saying by ANI. 

Taliban accuses Tajikistan of 'interfering' in internal matters

Taliban's acting deputy, Abdul Ghani Baradar, earlier last month accused Tajikistan of "interfering" in Kabul's internal affairs, as he warned that the Tajik government will face the possible repercussions for their behaviour. During an interview with the Middle East-based broadcast news channel, Al Jazeera, Baradar threatened Tajikistan to get ready with the Newton third law of motion.

"Tajikistan interferes in our affairs, for every action, there is a reaction," Ghani Baradar said in remarks to the outlet. Meanwhile, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid took to Twitter, stressing that thousands of troops were sent to Takhar province, the border area that both countries share. Mujahid maintained that the move was necessary to counter the security threats raised by the Tajikistan military in his provocative speech against the neighbouring country.