Afghan refugees are directly affecting Pakistan’s already fragile economy; they should be sent back to their homes.
ISLAMABAD: The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees’ (UNHCR) 2010 Global Trends report shows that many of the world’s poorest countries are hosting huge refugee populations, both in absolute terms and in relation to the size of their economies. Pakistan, Iran and Syria have the largest refugee populations at 1.9 million, 1.1 million and 1 million respectively.
Afghanistan and the international community should note how Pakistan has supported Afghanistan by accommodating these refugees, even though these refuges brought the drug and Kalashnikov culture with them to Pakistan, breeding terrorism and extremism.
Afghan refugees are directly affecting Pakistan’s already fragile economy, 1.9 million people is not a small number. The international community should do something in this regard. Wherever refugees exist across the world, they should be sent back to their homes as soon as possible. The UNHCR has urged richer states to share and address this burden with developing countries but more needs to be done.
Hafiz Muhammad Irfan
Published in The Express Tribune, June 23rd, 2011.
