Pakistan extends refugee status for Afghans

 
No Author Published: December 13, 2012    Comment on this article Leave a comment

photo - FILE - In this Thursday, April 22, 2010 photo, Afghan refugee women wait for transport to leave for Afghanistan at a repatriation center run by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, in Peshawar. Pakistan has extended refugee status for over a million Afghans in the country by an additional six months, the government announced a move likely to ease fears of Afghans living in Pakistan that they would soon have to return home. (AP Photo/Mohammad Sajjad, File)
FILE - In this Thursday, April 22, 2010 photo, Afghan refugee women wait for transport to leave for Afghanistan at a repatriation center run by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, in Peshawar. Pakistan has extended refugee status for over a million Afghans in the country by an additional six months, the government announced a move likely to ease fears of Afghans living in Pakistan that they would soon have to return home. (AP Photo/Mohammad Sajjad, File)

Multimedia

The Islamabad government has said it will not forcibly evict Afghans, many of whom have children born and raised in Pakistan. However, revoking their refugee status would encourage people to return.

Refugee status allows Afghans to get a government ID card that they use for everyday activities like banking or registering for school.

In a statement, the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees welcomed the extension but pointed out the uncertainty for Afghan refugees.

"While the six month extension is important, Afghan refugees will be left wondering what the future has in store in July 2013 and beyond. UNHCR will therefore continue to encourage the government to maintain asylum space in the challenging transitional period ahead," said Neill Wright, the U.N. agency's Pakistan representative.

The U.N. agency has said that 83,000 Afghans have gone back this year, a 40 percent increase in those returning to their homeland compared to 2011. The U.N. has been spearheading a program this year designed to help Afghan refugees return to their homeland.

__

Online:

http://www.unhcr.org/pages/49e487016.html

Page 2 of 2



If you prefer your thoughts to appear in The Oklahoman's Opinion section, we encourage you to submit a letter to the editor.

Ads by Yahoo!

Public Arrest Records
Step 1) Enter A Name and State. Step 2) Access Any U.S Public Records.
instantcheckmate.com
New Rule in GEORGIA:
(APR 2013): If You Pay For Car Insurance You Must Read This Immediately
www.ConsumerFinanceDaily.com

News Photo Galleriesview all