Welcome to Pakistan: Refugees Granted One-Year Extension
Pakistan has made a compassionate decision to grant a one-year extension for registered Afghan refugees, easing their concerns of being sent back to Afghanistan. The announcement comes after the caretaker government initially declared repatriation plans for all illegal foreigners due to security reasons.
According to officials, the repatriation of undocumented Afghans began on November 1, with approximately 500,000 individuals already returned. However, there are still around 1.3 million registered Afghans in Pakistan, as reported by the UN refugee agency.
The federal cabinet approved the extension of Proof of Registration (PoR) cards for Afghan refugees that expired on June 30. These cards are vital identity documents for registered refugees, with over 800,000 individuals also holding Afghan citizenship cards.
During a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the decision was made to halt the repatriation of Afghans without legal documents. This move was confirmed by UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi, who expressed gratitude for Pakistan’s continued hospitality towards Afghan refugees with international protection needs.