The refugee syndrome

Pakistan has embraced more than 250,000 Afghans in the last six months, many of them are asylum-seekers

Influx of Afghan refugees into Pakistan is unnerving. This new exodus comes at a time when the war-torn country is relatively at peace, and is experimenting with an indigenous government of its own. Yet, this mass movement across the Durand Line onto the other side of the divide has political and economic connotations. If reports are to be believed, Pakistan has embraced more than 250,000 Afghans in the last six months. The UNHCR says that many of them are, in fact, asylum-seekers and are scared of the order of the day under the Taliban rule, and there are many more who are restless and have moved in pursuit of a better tomorrow.

This new inflow of the destitute is a surprise, and what makes it more alarming is the fact that they are crossing over into Pakistan without much ado. This needs some policy clarification. Pakistan has officially resolved after the fall of Ashraf Ghani government in August 2021 that it will seal its borders for migrants from Afghanistan. Rather, the process will be expedited to enable Afghans inside Pakistan to go back to their home. The aid agencies had marked a humble honorarium of $250 per person repatriating voluntarily to their homes in order to help them resettle anew. But it is quite disturbing that only 850 refugees (185 families) have availed this facility since January 2022. This not only hints at a lack of confidence in the repatriation strategy but also absence of a viable mechanism to choreograph human settlement after decades of war.

The recent move on the part of the federal cabinet to issue transit visas to Afghan asylum-seekers has torpedoed the entire repatriation process. Likewise, informal trade on the western borders is further denting an ailing Pakistani economy. With more than 1.3 million registered refugees, and many more millions in shadows, Pakistan has a tough task to deal with. While Islamabad had been at the vanguard to ensure humanitarian assistance to rebuild Afghanistan, it should take a firm stance on repatriation. Last but not least, it is also envisaging to strike a peace deal with the militant outfits. All these aspects need to be taken into account while fomenting a policy on refugees. The way out is to facilitate and ensure their return, and seal the 2,600km porous border for illicit trade and human-trafficking.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 21^st, 2022.

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