"We have been staying in Medan for seven years. I, myself, have been here for eight years," the rally's coordinator, Muhammad Zai, notified local journalists in this capital city of North Sumatra Province.
During that long waiting period, the UNHCR officials had yet to repatriate them for the settlement program in any of the destination countries, such as Australia, New Zealand, the US, and Canada, Zai remarked.
The rally coordinator urged UNHCR officials in Indonesia to give serious consideration to their fate and all basic necessities during their stay in Medan, including health services.
Several asylum seekers are under stress during their waiting time, he added.
On August 11, 2020, two Afghan refugees, Asadullah Haidari (39) and Murtaza (22), waiting for six years for asylum from a third country, finally gave up on their quest and left Indonesia.
The duo boarded a flight from the Sultan Hasanuddin International Airport in Makassar, the capital of South Sulawesi Province, to the Soekarno Hatta International Airport on the outskirts of Jakarta before proceeding to Afghanistan.
The two refugees returned to their country of origin after the International Organization for Migration (IOM) accepted their applications for an assisted voluntary return (AVR), Togol Situmorang, head of the Makassar Immigration Office's Detention House, stated.
Several Afghan refugees staying in the Indonesian city of Makassar had applied for the AVR facility to facilitate their return to Afghanistan after facing uncertainty in their long-awaited quest for resettlement in a third country, he pointed out.
"(On) average, (most) of them apply for the IOM's AVR facility since they are tired of waiting for so long and for family-related reasons," Situmorang remarked, adding that Australia and Canada are the most favorable third countries for Afghan refugees.
In the wake of protective policies of several receiving countries and the ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic, the opportunities for refugees getting accepted by favorable third countries are dwindling by the day.
To this end, Situmorang noted that one of the best options for such refugees is the AVR facility.
"I have stayed in Indonesia for six years. I still have many relatives in Afghanistan. It is better for me to return home than wait for resettlement in uncertainty," he affirmed.
Haidari and Murtaza boarded the Batik Air ID6289 flight from Makassar to Cengkareng on August 11, 2020, at 10 a.m. local time. Four Indonesian immigration officials accompanied them on the flight.
Shortly after arriving at the Soekarno Hatta International Airport, the Indonesian immigration officials took them to the Afghanistan Embassy in Jakarta for an interview and due administrative process.
At 5:55 p.m. Western Indonesia Standard Time (WIB), they boarded an Emirates flight bound for the Dubai International Airport and continued their air travel to the Kabul International Airport from Dubai at 4:10 a.m. local time, Situmorang stated. Related news: Young asylum seekers attend classes, morning ceremony in Pekanbaru
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EDITED BY INE
Translator: Nur ABS, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Suharto
Copyright © ANTARA 2020
