KHUJAND, August 7, 2008, Asia-Plus — Children of Afghan nationals living in northern Tajikistan have applied for refugee status.
Renat Atabiyev, deputy head of the Sughd agency for employment, migration and social protection of the population, told Asia-Plus on Thursday that nine children of Afghan nationals that had come of age had applied for refugee status.. “They want to get refugee status as their parents,” said Atabiyev. “This will allow them participating in different refugee programs, for example, the UN program on resettlement of Afghan refugees to Canada.”
56 Afghan families, totaling 163 people, currently live in the Sughd province, and only 29 of them have the refugee status. Another 14 families (21 persons) have temporary certificates for refugee status, Atabiyev said.
According to him, Afghan nationals are mainly engaged in trade in the province, working on local markets. One of such food markets is known among local residents as Afghon-Bozor.
