1.4m Afghan DPs in limbo as govt fails to extend stay

A deadline for some 1.4 million Afghan refugees to stay in Pakistan expired yesterday, with the government failing to approve an extension.

However, officials privy to the development said that some alternate measures will be taken to allow the refugees to continue living in the country legally.

Officials said that the matter had been included in the agenda of the last federal cabinet meeting. However, it could not be addressed and now the Ministry of State and Frontier Regions (SAFRON) has sprung into action.

“It was on the agenda [of the meeting] but it could not be discussed, however until the next meeting of the federal cabinet, alternate measures have been adopted since we fear the refugees will face harassment in the form of being arrested by law enforcement authorities,” a senior official dealing with the issue told The Express Tribune.

The official, who wished not to be named since he was not entitled to speak to the media, stated that SAFRON had written to all concerned departments that the Proof Of Registration (POR) cards issued by the National Database Regulatory Authority (NADRA) to register Afghan refugees and the Afghan Citizen Cards (ACC) issued to documented Afghan nationals, will expire on June 30, 2020.

“The ministry of SAFRON has submitted the summary to the federal cabinet for extension of validity of both the cards. The decision of the federal cabinet will be conveyed in due course of time,” a letter from SAFRON read.

The letter, a copy of which is available with The Express Tribune, adding that the interior ministry had been asked to direct all relevant law enforcement departments and agencies not to trouble Afghan refugees in this time.

“It is requested to kindly issue instructions to all the relevant departments/agencies to ensure no harassment or adverse action be taken against registered Afghan refugees holding POR cards and holders of ACC issued by the NADRA till the decision of the federal cabinet is communicated,” the letter read.

When asked, the United Nations High Commission for Refugees’ (UNHCR) spokesperson in Pakistan Qaiser Afridi confirmed the developments. He added that SAFRON has communicated to all provincial home departments across the country not to harass refugees.

“We hope the cards are extended,” Afridi told The Express Tribune, adding that the UNHCR has already launched a cash programme for refugee families across the country who have been economically impacted by the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, providing them with an Rs12,000, one-time cash assistance.

The UNHCR had also signed an agreement with Pakistan Post for the disbursement of the emergency cash assistance, which follows the model of the federal government’s Ehsaas emergency cash programme.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 1^st, 2020.