Nearly 3 million Afghan refugees in Pakistan and Iran must be encouraged to go home to help stabilise their country and boost prospects for peace, the United Nations said on Wednesday, calling for $1.9 billion (1.1 billion pounds) in aid to help it happen. The UN refugee agency presented a Geneva conference with a 3-year plan – backed by all three countries – for the voluntary repatriation and reintegration of Afghanis, some of whom have spent decades in exile. “The ability for refugees to return in safety and dignity and become productive citizens in their communities upon return is also integral to the stability and progress of Afghanistan,” U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres said at the start of two-day talks. The UN humanitarian coordinator in Afghanistan said the refugee issue was a vital part of securing the country’s long-term future.