RASC News Agency: Pakistan’s “Express Tribune” has reported that the condition of Afghanistani migrants in Pakistan has reached a “critical stage.” According to the report, over 600,000 Afghanistani refugees have registered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) for resettlement. However, the UNHCR’s annual resettlement quota is restricted to just 8,000 individuals. In November of last year, Islamabad issued directives mandating the departure of undocumented Afghanistani nationals from the country.
Despite this, numerous Afghanistani migrants in Pakistan have reported that even those with valid residency documents face persistent harassment and arbitrary arrests by Pakistani police. The report underscores that, despite Pakistan’s internal struggles with limited employment opportunities and inadequate social services for its own citizens, the country continues to host thousands of Afghanistani refugees who are victims of circumstances beyond their control.
The situation is further complicated by approximately 25,000 Afghanistani nationals approved for relocation to the United States, who remain in Pakistan due to protracted visa processing delays. Meanwhile, other countries such as Australia, Canada, Germany, and the United Kingdom have accepted thousands of Afghanistani refugees. Yet, these individuals remain stranded in Pakistan, caught in the limbo of bureaucratic delays.
The report also highlights that Western nations, under growing pressure from far-right political parties, have implemented increasingly restrictive immigration policies. These tightened measures have significantly hindered asylum and resettlement pathways for Afghanistani refugees, exacerbating their already dire predicament and leaving many in a state of uncertainty and despair.
