AHWAZ, Khuzestan Province -- Khuzestan's Bureau for Alien and Foreign Immigrant Affairs (BAFIA) Director General Mohammad Hassan Paravar said here Tuesday that the 13th batch of Afghan refugees in the province returned to their country Monday.

Speaking to IRNA, he said that the group consisted of 248 Afghan refugees who returned to their country in six buses and eight trucks.

A total number of 3,639 Afghans have been repatriated from Khuzestan since the voluntary repatriation program began on April 3, the official informed, adding that there is no limit to the number of Afghan refugees who may avail of the voluntary repatriation program (VRP).

He said all refugees who remain in the province could face legal action unless they voluntarily register for repatriation by August 27.

He also said that before the voluntary repatriation program took effect in April this year only 25000 Afghan refugees were identified in Khuzestan.

The UNHCR-Iran-Afghanistan tripartite accord on voluntary repatriation of Afghan refugees was signed in Geneva on Aril 3.

Since April 9, more than 1.5 million Afghan refugees have returned to their homeland from Iran, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan with the assistance of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

The dramatic flow back to Afghanistan is the largest return of refugees anywhere in recent times.

Afghans constitute the largest refugee population in the world.

Before the voluntary repatriation program took effect, the number of Afghans who sought refuge in neighboring countries was estimated at about four million.

Under the program, the returnees are given a cash grant to cover transportation cost that is calculated according to the distance traveled. They also receive food assistance and some household items to help in restarting their lives.

The UNHCR has instituted a series of verification checks to ensure that no one is receiving assistance more than once.