Pakistan allows Afghan refugees to stay for six more months

The deadline for Afghan refugees return to their home country was due to expire at the end of December 2012.


Afp December 12, 2012

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Wednesday gave 1.6 million Afghan refugees sheltered within its territory the right to stay for another six months, extending a deadline on their residency papers that was due to expire at the end of December.

The decision was taken by Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf, according to a statement from his office. His spokesman confirmed that Afghan refugees would now be entitled to stay in Pakistan until the end of June 2013.

A spokeswoman for the UN Refugee Agency said Pakistan had promised not to expel any registered refugee.

"We got assurances from Pakistan that they would respect the voluntary nature of returns and would not expel any registered refugee," Duniya Aslam Khan told AFP.

More than five million Afghans fled their homeland for Pakistan in the early 1980s, soon after Soviet troops invaded Afghanistan.

Since the 2001 US-led invasion brought down the Taliban, 3.8 million have returned, leaving 1.6 million behind, most born and brought up in Pakistan.

In late October, UNHCR boosted incentives for Afghans to return and around 10,000 Afghans went home from October 23 to November 30 -- more than double the number who were repatriated in the same period last year.

But despite pressure from Islamabad and the extra incentives, the vast majority of the Afghans still in Pakistan are reluctant to return to a country gripped by war and poverty.

COMMENTS (46)

Hassan | 11 years ago | Reply

Dear all Pak & Afg Brothers and sisters..!

As a human I would like to mention, at first we are Muslims and second please for Godsake kick the 'Hate' out of your self.. and do love eachother.. If Afghani people are living from 30 days they didnt come here for fun or picnic.. acually their country disroyed by out siders by many other countries.. So I have never seen such a Afghani people who become a virus for this country.. UN gives alot of Money to Pakistan which is too good for constraction of Pakistan..

I love Pakistan and Afghanistan people .. I just need you all to respect eachother and love eachother and leave what others says..

wasalam.

Shahid | 11 years ago | Reply

When it comes to Pakistan, Afghans are the most ungrateful people.

Also, actual no. of Afghans in Pakistan is close to 10 million. If 3 million Afghans came to Pakistan in the 1980s and stayed here for almost 30 years, do you think they didn't reproduce?

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