In the first six months of this year, the Law and Human Rights Ministry shifted six Afghan refugees from East Nusa Tenggara to Jakarta ahead of their departure to other countries.
Head of intelligence and immigration at the ministry’s East Nusa Tenggara office, Christian Penna, said that the six refugees were moved at the beginning of July 2022.
“Starting from January to July 2022, there are already six refugees sent to Jakarta. All of those refugees are from Afghanistan,” he added.
There were some reasons for the Afghan refugees’ transfer, he added.
The first reason was to facilitate the transfer of the refugees to other countries selected by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
The second reason was the refugees’ medical records, which showed that they were suffering from a disease that could not be treated at East Nusa Tenggara’s health facilities.
“If (these refugees are sent to) Jakarta, of course, there will be many medical facilities which they can utilize,” he said.
With the shifting of the six Afghanistan refugees, the number of refugees taking shelter temporarily in Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara has reached 197, he informed.
Of the 197 refugees, three are Pakistani nationals and the rest are Afghan nationals. They are currently residing at three inns in Kupang city.
Source: Antara News