United Nations refugee chief Filippo Grandi has called for new solutions for three million Afghan refugees living in Pakistan, as well as for the host country, "redoubled" efforts to help Afghans return home and resettlements in other countries.
“We need to seize this opportunity to accelerate solutions, and have a bigger, broader vision for the Afghan people in Pakistan,” Grandi said at the end of a three-day visit to Pakistan, which he recalled had generously hosted Afghan refugees for over four decades.
Grandi visited Peshawar and Haripur in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, meeting with Afghan refugees in urban settings as well as in a refugee village. People Grandi met shared a message of anxiety regarding their situation, but also of their desire to contribute to their communities in Pakistan, as well as eventually in Afghanistan.
During talks in Islamabad, with premier Shehbaz Sharif, foreign minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar, states and frontier regions minister Amir Muqam and senior interior and foreign ministry officials, Grandi urged the timely extension of the Proof of Registration (PoR) cards, a critical identity document held by over 1.3 million Afghan refugees.
Grandi also expressed appreciation that the “Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan” had been suspended. He sought assurances that the plan would remain on ice and called for Pakistan’s proud tradition of hospitality towards those Afghans with international protection needs to continue.
"Recognizing the challenges facing the country and the admirable generosity of Pakistan's government in hosting Afghan refugees for over 45 years, Grandi called for an urgent reset of the aid model towards solutions and responsibility sharing, including fostering new partnerships and developing innovative approaches to addressing the protracted displacement situation," said a UNHCR statement.
Grandi also committed to redoubling efforts aimed at creating conditions conducive for returns to Afghanistan including material conditions, access to services, job opportunities and rights – paving the way for sustainable voluntary returns in the future.
"In the meantime, as Pakistan continues to host some 3 million Afghans, all solutions need to be explored in addition to voluntary repatriation, including third country resettlement and longer-term solutions within Pakistan," the statement concluded.
