ISLAMABAD: Pakistani authorities have decided to introduce a new procedure for the arrival and departure of Afghan nationals in a bid to streamline their monitoring.
According to sources, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) will take custody of Afghan refugees’ Proof of Registration (PoR) – a critical identity document held by more than 1.3 million refugees – and Afghan Citizenship (ACC) at the Torkham border.
Meanwhile, a voluntary return form will be given to those who return to Afghanistan voluntarily and they would be given a grant for this form in Afghanistan, they added.
Sources also said that the FIA will leave the cards of those returning to Afghanistan without the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) punched and the cards taken into custody will be permanently blocked by the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra). .
They also said that once the card is punched or taken into FIA custody, it will not be returned. The purpose of the new method is to make monitoring of Afghan citizens more efficient.
The prime minister asks UNHCR for help in solving the refugee problem
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has sought UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi’s support in mobilizing adequate resources to complement Pakistan’s efforts.
The UN body’s top official was on a three-day official visit to the country to assess the situation. On the last leg of his visit, he called on Prime Minister Shehbaz.
The Prime Minister urged the UN body to play its role in promoting durable solutions to the situation of Afghan refugees, including safe and dignified return and reintegration to their homeland, as well as relocation to third countries.
During his stay in Pakistan, Grandi visited Peshawar and Haripur, where he met Afghan refugees in an urban setting as well as in a refugee village, according to a UNHCR statement.
“The people he met shared messages of anxiety about their situation, but also of their desire to contribute to their communities in Pakistan and eventually Afghanistan.”
The High Commissioner called for the timely extension of PoR cards and expressed his appreciation that the “Illegal Alien Repatriation Plan” had been suspended and sought assurances that it would remain suspended.
He called for continuing Pakistan’s proud tradition of hospitality towards those Afghans in need of international protection.
Acknowledging the challenges facing the country and the admirable generosity of the Pakistani government over 45 years of hosting Afghan refugees, Grandi called for an urgent reconfiguration of the aid model towards solutions and shared responsibility, including fostering new partnerships and developing innovative approaches to address protracted displacement situations.
The High Commissioner offered to work on a dialogue later this year that will bring together key stakeholders – including government representatives, development actors and the private sector – to develop a package of solutions that will benefit both the Afghan population living in Pakistan and host country. the country itself.
Grandi also pledged to redouble efforts to create enabling conditions for returns to Afghanistan, including in terms of material conditions, access to services, employment opportunities and rights – paving the way for sustainable voluntary returns in the future.
