Since the programme began, in March 2002, over three million individuals have returned to Afghanistan (2,377,322 from Pakistan 783,541 from the Islamic Republic of Iran 11,198 from other countries).

An estimated 13,500 persons remained in countries of asylum following the conclusion of the operation, of whom 1,825 are in Guinea and 2,368 in Liberia.

Assistance has been provided to 42,376 registered refugees in returning home from camps in various countries.

It has been a refugee club since the 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus, when Turkey occupied the northern part of the island.

UNMEE visited Shimelba refugee camp in northern Ethiopia, which hosted 9,327 refugees as of July 2005.

Of these, 179,497 Sierra Leonean refugees returned with the assistance of UNHCR while 92,494 returned spontaneously.

In a remarkable development, 271,991 Sierra Leonean refugees returned, of whom 190,515 came from Guinea, 79,915 from Liberia and 1,561 from other countries in the region.

The Refugee Review Tribunal has, in many cases, drawn on information presented in Convention reports in establishing whether an applicant could be considered a refugee under Australian law.

ONUB in collaboration with the United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC), continued its investigation into the Gatumba massacre of more than 160 Congolese refugees in August 2004.

According to the report of the High Commissioner for Refugees (A 59 12), the refugee population in Armenia was well over 200,000 while in his country it was only 326.

Ensuring effective security for refugees and internally displaced persons continues to be a pressing and vital need, as demonstrated by the massacre of 156 Congolese refugees at the Gatumba camp in Burundi in August 2004, and the continuing use of sexual violence as a tool of war in places like Darfur and the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Despite the fact that the major part of the territory of our country is under occupation and that one in eight persons is a refugee and internally displaced persons, living in tents in unbearable conditions, Azerbaijan is willing to eliminate peacefully the consequences of the aggression conducted by the Republic of Armenia.

However, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) expects in August at least a sixfold increase in the number of Burundian refugees returning home compared to June 20,000 refugees were expected to return in August, up from 3,116 in June.