As the deadline set by Pakistan to expel Afghan refugees get closer, the Government seems not to bother with this issue. Officials in Islamabad and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province recently reiterated their earlier call asking Afghan refugees to leave the country by the end of 2012.
There are 1.7 million Afghan refugees living in Pakistan with legal documentation, while another million illegally. UNHCR says there has been a 34% increase in the number of refugees returning to their homeland voluntarily compared to 2011. Over 62,500 individuals have repatriated this year so far.
It would be extremely cruel to expel Afghan refugees by force at this time of the year when winter has already started, with heavy snowfall in some parts of Afghanistan. It would certainly cause a humanitarian crisis if those refugees are expelled from Pakistan. Earlier this year, Pakistani officials had warned unregistered Afghan refugees to immediately leave the country, or face legal action.
The provincial government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had asked those Afghan refugees who do not have Proof of Registration (PoR) Cards and other travelling documents should exit the country, or else they will be arrested. Afghans who own the registration cards known as Refugee Card among them had been warned to leave the country by December 31, 2012.
A tripartite meeting of Afghanistan, Pakistan and UNHCR will be held on December 7 and 8 on this issue. President Karzai should personally urge top Pakistani leadership to revoke the expulsion decision and rather continue with the voluntary repatriation programs, which have shown significant success this year with a large number of Afghans returning.
Currently apart from the challenges of harsh weather, the Government will not be able to accommodate if Afghan refugees are forced to leave Pakistan. The Government can only provide basic facilities for 400,000 returnees that include shelter for 72 hours, transport cost, $150 for each returnee and land plots.
Pakistan is bound to fulfill its obligation under international conventions on refugee and human rights. They cannot expel Afghan refugees who hold refugee registration cards, by force until they are not prepared to repatriate voluntarily.