Afghan refugee crisis

Pakistan faces growing strain from hosting Afghan refugees; international action and resettlement needed.

The continuing pressure on cash-strapped Pakistan from Afghan refugees has reached a critical juncture, demanding immediate international attention and action. Pakistan cannot realistically continue to host them when there are not enough employment opportunities or social services available for Pakistani citizens. At the same time, the vast majority of refugees are victims of circumstances beyond their control, and deserve much better than their current lot - perhaps something akin to what the US and other countries had promised them. For example, over 600,000 Afghan resettlement applicants are registered with the UNHCR. But the organisation's annual quota for resettlement applications stands at a mere 8,000.

Meanwhile, about 25,000 Afghans approved for relocation to the US are still living in Pakistan because of the arduous visa process. And although another 9,000 Afghans have been accepted by Australia, 6,000 by Canada, 3,000 by Germany and more than 1,000 by Britain, all of them are still also here. Unfortunately, these countries are all tightening their own immigration laws under pressure from the rising popularity of far-right leaders and parties. The US, which is most responsible for 'breaking' Afghanistan, is set to introduce draconian anti-immigrant measures once Donald Trump returns to the White House in January. Ironically, Trump's rush to get US troops out of Afghanistan during his first term played a major role in the one-sided peace deal with the Taliban that led to the militant group easily retaking control of the country and creating the latest refugee crisis.

But domestic politics are no excuse for shirking international responsibilities. Wealthy nations must intervene to help Pakistan fund refugee operations and other humanitarian work, while countries that had promised to welcome Afghans need to roll out the red carpet as soon as possible.