Many Turks seek Pakistani citizenship

Refugees from Turkey, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and other countruies have sought Pakistani nationality

PESHAWAR: In the absence of laws for refugees and asylum seekers, the government has yet to decide the fate of some 4,500 applications filed by residents of different countries seeking Pakistani citizenship.

These include Turkish citizens, many of whom applied after a government crackdown on dissent following the failed military coup in the country last summer, as well as Somali, Sudanese and Iraqi citizens fleeing the wars in their countries.

"In the absence of refugees and asylum seekers' law, people who lack Proof of Registration (PoR) cards or authorised visa but want Pakistani nationality are provided protection and asylum certificate," UNCHR representative Tausifullah told journalists during a seminar titled "International protection, status of refugees in Pakistan and role of media."



The official said some 4,500 nationals from other countries seeking asylum in Pakistan for various reasons have been provided with the certificate. It is up to the government to decide the fate of the 4,500 cases since the only law to deal with foreigners is the Foreigner Act 1946, he added.

Tausifullah said the UNHCR started repatriation in 2002, assisting some 762,247 Afghan families comprising 43,0117 individuals. About 12,4593 families comprising 72,8603 individuals have been repatriated since 2010.

There are three kinds of travelling documents for foreign nationals – PoR cards, authorised visas, and Protection and Asylum Certificates. The certificates are a UNHCR-recognised refugee status determination, said an NGO representative in attendance.

They said that only registered people fall within the domain of the agency and it doesn't take into account cases of those living in Pakistan illegally or without valid travelling documents. Some four million refugees are currently residing in Pakistan, they added.



Meanwhile, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Home Department Coordinator for Afghan Refugees Muhammad Jibran said some 1.3 million Afghan refugees are registered and living in K-P, whereas some 800,000 others are living in the province illegally.

Jibran said 45 per cent of the total registered people are living in 43 camps across the province while the rest are living in urban areas. Even the cases of unregistered Afghan refugees, he added, who are not provided any legal aid in case of any issue in Pakistan, cannot be dealt under the Foreigners Act 1946.