Pakistan's Afghan refugees

Four decades of war have displaced millionss of Afghans to neighbouring countries, especially Pakistan. The number of refugees has since grown owing to constant conflict, political instability and uncertainty in Afghanistan. The economic condition of the country does not allow these displaced people to return. According to a report prepared by Feinstein International Centre, one in three Afghan children is malnourished. Malnourishment is higher in conflict-ridden regions such as those in the country’s south. Afghanistan has the highest rate of stunted growth in the world among children less than five years old. In areas where fighting continues, militants do not allow residents access to healthcare services. Though militancy has been the major reason behind the large scale movement of people both within and outside Afghanistan, poverty and natural disasters have also contributed to this situation. In Pakistan, 36 percent of the Afghan refugee population lives in refugee camps — known locally as ‘refugee villages’ — and 63 percent in urban settings. In addition to the 1.7 million refugees registered with the government, it is estimated that a further one million or more undocumented Afghans live in the country. 85.1 percent of the Afghans in Pakistan are Pashtun, and the remainder are Tajiks, Uzbeks, and others. One of the most vulnerable Afghan refugee groups is the ethnic Hazara, who face targeted killings and persecution by the Taliban and anti-Shia factions in Afghanistan. For the Hazara, and for other Afghan refugee groups, voluntary repatriation is therefore not a viable solution.

Pakistan is not a signatory to the 1951 Convention or the 1967 Protocol on refugees. The temporary stay of registered Afghan refugees is regularised by means of Proof of Registration cards, all of which expired on December 31, 2012. The Pakistan government extended their right to stay for an additional six months until the end of June 2013, and in July 2013 announced a further extension. Things however, have started to change with the arrival of the new government in Afghanistan. During his recent two-day visit to Pakistan, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has announced that Afghanistan would be ready to receive the refugees sheltering in Pakistan by end 2015. Pakistan will be relieved of this economic burden if this deadline is met. Life for the Afghans has been a hell whether they live in their own country or as refugees in any part of the world. Living as a refugee can never compare with one’s home and one’s own country. The Afghan people have had more than their share of suffering. It is high time that the country’s wounds are attended to, including the safe return of its displaced sons and daughters to their hearths and homes.