KABUL - The issue of migration in Afghanistan is complex and multi-faceted and presents both challenges and opportunities, a global organization said on Wednesday -- marking International Migrants’ Day.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said that alongside the Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation, (MoRR), it was jointly commemorating the day with the theme ‘Migration, Development and Confidence in Afghanistan’s Future’.

International Migrants’ Day is observed every year on December 18 since it was declared by the UN General Assembly in 2000.

Participants unite voices to recognize the invaluable contributions that millions of migrants across the world make daily to create better living conditions for everyone, benefiting themselves, their country of destination and also their country of origin.

Following the Tokyo Conference in 2001 and the country’s appeal for international assistance to recover the expertise of qualified Afghans living abroad and to engage them in the reconstruction process, IOM started the “Return of Qualified Afghans” (RQA) program in December 2001.

The aim of this program was to maximize the contribution of Afghan expatriates living outside the country to the development of Afghanistan.

Since the program started, a total of 1,663 Afghan experts have returned to the country out of which 220 are females. These returns are made possible by IOM’s assistance from 31 countries.

Returned experts are placed in over 132 government ministries and institutions, NGOs, international and other organizations including the private sector, in about 28 provinces throughout the country. (Pajhwok)