ISLAMABAD: The United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) voiced their concerns over the government of Pakistan’s new plan to relocate registered Afghan refugees from Islamabad and Rawalpindi. The organizations are seeking further information on the “modality and timeframe” for this relocation.
Dawn quoted sources as saying that the government intends to gradually repatriate registered Afghan refugees back to Afghanistan. But this is being done without attracting media attention, which is why no public announcements have been made.
“Forced return to Afghanistan could place some people at increased risk. We urge Pakistan to continue to provide safety to Afghans at risk, irrespective of their documentation status,” a statement from the organizations said.
It added that despite the security challenges the government was facing, the situation should be seen through a humanitarian lens.
“The overwhelming majority of Afghan nationals in Pakistan are law-abiding individuals, whose situation needs to be seen through a humanitarian lens,” read the statement.
In the initial phase of the relocation effort, Afghan nationals holding the Afghan Citizens Card (ACC) will be “immediately” moved from Islamabad and Rawalpindi and sent back to their home country, along with undocumented refugees.
In November of last year, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi stated that Afghan nationals would no longer be permitted to remain in the capital without proper authorization. They were given until Dec. 31 to leave the country.
But the federal government later informed the Supreme Court that the validity of the Proof of Registration (PoR) cards for registered refugees had been extended until June 30.
Since the caretaker government mandated that undocumented migrants leave or face arrest, more than 400,000 undocumented Afghan nationals have returned to Afghanistan, where they remain at risk of persecution from the Taliban.
