UNHCR’s Voluntary Repatriation Program: Evaluation of the Impact of the Cash Grant

Since 1990, the Cash Grant has been a permanent and important component of UNHCR’s
Voluntary Repatriation Program, for refugees returning to Afghanistan from Pakistan and Iran.
Initially, the Cash Grants were used only as a transport grant, but since 2002 the returnees have
been free to spend the money how they choose. To reduce fraudulent claims, new procedures
were also introduced, including the requirement to complete a Voluntary Repatriation Form (VRF)
and have irises scanned in the country of exile prior to return. Typically the Cash Grant is claimed
by refugees once inside Afghanistan at Encashment Centers, or in the cases of longer journeys,
cash can be claimed in installments en route.
The Cash Grant was revised upwards from $60 to $100 in 2007, and this study aims to
understand:
The impact the increased Cash Grant has had on reintegration of refugees since 2007, in the
short and long-term
Whether the increased Cash Grant is distributed in a cost-effective manner
Whether the increased Cash Grant could have more impact through a different combination
of inputs