Govt registers Afghans for the first time
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Janbaz
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Yes, Pakhtuns are a pragmatic people. However the northern Tajiks, Uzbeks and Turkmens are extremely hostile to our existence and ought to be kicked out of our country immediatly.
solid snake
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We should deport all illegal Afghanis on our soil, and move the refugees across the border to just inside Afghanistan. We cannot afford to let them stay in our country any longer; if we expell them we open up lots of job oppotunities for Pakistani's. As for the dilemma of what to do with refugees with children who were born in Pakistan, I guess we could give the parents a temporary visa till their kids turn 18, and then send them back. Their kids can "sponsor" their parents to become Pakistani's.
Thursday, December 14, 2006
NWFP registers half a million Afghans
PESHAWAR: More than half a million Afghans have been registered in the North West Frontier Province, that is 60 percent of the 830,000 Afghans who participated countrywide in the government registration exercise scheduled to end on December 31.
ââ¬ÅThe pace has increased exponentially in the NWFP. More than 20,000 people being getting registered daily through 19 registration centres and mobile registration vans in the province,ââ¬Â said United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) Assistant Representative in Pakistan Indrika Ratwatte. Only those Afghans who were enumerated in the March 2005 census are eligible for registration, which started this year on October 15. Each registered Afghan above the age of five years receives a Proof of Registration (POR) card, that recognises him or her as an Afghan citizen living temporarily in Pakistan, and is valid for three years. Children under five are listed on their mothersââ¬â¢ cards.
NWFP hosts 1.5 million Afghans, more than 60 percent of the 2.4 million Afghans living in Pakistan. Balochistan has a population of 654,000 Afghans. Punjab hosts 192,000 Afghans, followed by Sindh with 100,000 and Azad Jammu and Kashmir with 10,000. The National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) implements registrations free of cost with the support of the Commissioner for Afghan Refugees and the UN refugee agency.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2006\12\14\story_14-12-2006_pg7_42
NWFP registers half a million Afghans
PESHAWAR: More than half a million Afghans have been registered in the North West Frontier Province, that is 60 percent of the 830,000 Afghans who participated countrywide in the government registration exercise scheduled to end on December 31.
ââ¬ÅThe pace has increased exponentially in the NWFP. More than 20,000 people being getting registered daily through 19 registration centres and mobile registration vans in the province,ââ¬Â said United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) Assistant Representative in Pakistan Indrika Ratwatte. Only those Afghans who were enumerated in the March 2005 census are eligible for registration, which started this year on October 15. Each registered Afghan above the age of five years receives a Proof of Registration (POR) card, that recognises him or her as an Afghan citizen living temporarily in Pakistan, and is valid for three years. Children under five are listed on their mothersââ¬â¢ cards.
NWFP hosts 1.5 million Afghans, more than 60 percent of the 2.4 million Afghans living in Pakistan. Balochistan has a population of 654,000 Afghans. Punjab hosts 192,000 Afghans, followed by Sindh with 100,000 and Azad Jammu and Kashmir with 10,000. The National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) implements registrations free of cost with the support of the Commissioner for Afghan Refugees and the UN refugee agency.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2006\12\14\story_14-12-2006_pg7_42
Awesome
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If we are going to register we need to register non-ethnically.
Citizenship shouldn't be offered on ethnic grounds but evaluation of what they bring into Pakistan. Perhaps if they can work with a Pakistani employer for 5 years then they should be considered for citizenship.
Citizenship shouldn't be offered on ethnic grounds but evaluation of what they bring into Pakistan. Perhaps if they can work with a Pakistani employer for 5 years then they should be considered for citizenship.
Pakistan seeks international help for return of Afghan refugees
Sat Dec 16
ISLAMABAD (AFP) - Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf urged the international community to do more to facilitate repatriation of Afghan refugees while his government battled militants on its territory.
Musharraf issued the call during a meeting with Special Representative of the
European Union on
Afghanistan Francesc Vendrell amid fresh allegations by Afghan leader Hamid Karzai that Pakistan was aiding Taliban.
"The President emphasised the need for (the) international community to do more and facilitate repatriation of Afghan refugees back to their homeland," the foreign ministry said in a statement on Friday.
Pakistan says the repatriation of more than 2.5 million Afghan refugees could stop Taliban militants infiltrating Afghanistan through the long and porous frontier.
"Pakistan is committed to not allow its territory to be used by militants and had done all within its means to deal with the issue," it quoted Musharraf as telling Vendrell.
Vendrell expressed the EU's interest in facilitating better coordination between Pakistan and Afghanistan, it said.
The ministry said Vendrell was informed of the "absolute necessity for all parties to understand the prevailing environment, recognise that border security was a collective responsibility of Pakistan, Afghanistan and ISAF-
NATO (international troops in Afghanistan)."
More than 2.8 million Afghans who fled a quarter-century of instability in their homeland have returned from Pakistan since 2002 under a UN-assisted voluntary scheme, but almost the same number remain there.
Pakistan has also closed refugee camps in its northwestern tribal areas bordering Afghanistan to improve security in the region. Officials in southwestern Baluchistan province have also blamed refugees for militancy.
More than 3,700 people dying in militant-related violence this year, the deadliest since the Taliban launched its insurgency. Most of the victims are rebels, but about 1,000 civilians have also been killed.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20061216/wl_sthasia_afp/pakistanafghanistanrefugeeseu_061216060924
Sat Dec 16
ISLAMABAD (AFP) - Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf urged the international community to do more to facilitate repatriation of Afghan refugees while his government battled militants on its territory.
Musharraf issued the call during a meeting with Special Representative of the
European Union on
Afghanistan Francesc Vendrell amid fresh allegations by Afghan leader Hamid Karzai that Pakistan was aiding Taliban.
"The President emphasised the need for (the) international community to do more and facilitate repatriation of Afghan refugees back to their homeland," the foreign ministry said in a statement on Friday.
Pakistan says the repatriation of more than 2.5 million Afghan refugees could stop Taliban militants infiltrating Afghanistan through the long and porous frontier.
"Pakistan is committed to not allow its territory to be used by militants and had done all within its means to deal with the issue," it quoted Musharraf as telling Vendrell.
Vendrell expressed the EU's interest in facilitating better coordination between Pakistan and Afghanistan, it said.
The ministry said Vendrell was informed of the "absolute necessity for all parties to understand the prevailing environment, recognise that border security was a collective responsibility of Pakistan, Afghanistan and ISAF-
NATO (international troops in Afghanistan)."
More than 2.8 million Afghans who fled a quarter-century of instability in their homeland have returned from Pakistan since 2002 under a UN-assisted voluntary scheme, but almost the same number remain there.
Pakistan has also closed refugee camps in its northwestern tribal areas bordering Afghanistan to improve security in the region. Officials in southwestern Baluchistan province have also blamed refugees for militancy.
More than 3,700 people dying in militant-related violence this year, the deadliest since the Taliban launched its insurgency. Most of the victims are rebels, but about 1,000 civilians have also been killed.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20061216/wl_sthasia_afp/pakistanafghanistanrefugeeseu_061216060924
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
1 million Afghans registered so far
* Largest registration by a host government
ISLAMABAD: About one million Afghans living in Pakistan have been registered so far in landmark registration drive that will come to an end on December 31, 2006, a press release by the UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) said on Tuesday.
According to the press release, over 631,000 Afghans have been registered in the North West Frontier Province, 174,000 in Balochistan, 122,000 in Punjab, 67,000 in Sindh and 6,000 in Azad Kashmir since the registration started in October. About 48 percent of those registered are females.
ââ¬ÅThis is the largest registration by a host government anywhere in the world,ââ¬Â Sajid Hussain Chattha, secretary of the Ministry of States and Frontier Regions (SAFRON), said in the press release.
Registration has accelerated in recent weeks, with over 28,000 Afghans being registered every day in 50 registration centres and mobile vans countrywide, said the press release.
ââ¬ÅThe recent registration numbers are very encouraging,ââ¬Â said Guenet Guebre-Christos, the UNHCRââ¬â¢s representative in Pakistan. ââ¬ÅBut time is running out. Eligible Afghans should come forward now, to avoid a last-minute rush at the centres at the year end,ââ¬Â she said.
She stressed that since registration is free for all eligible Afghans, any demands for payment must be reported immediately to the UNHCR and the authorities concerned.
The exercise is being conducted by the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) and supported by the Commissionerate for Afghan Refugees (CAR) and the UNHCR. Only those Afghans who were counted in the 2005 census are eligible for registration. The target population is estimated at 2.4 million Afghans. Every registered Afghan above the age of five receives a proof of registration (POR) card that is valid for three years and identifies the bearer as an Afghan citizen living temporarily in Pakistan.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2006\12\20\story_20-12-2006_pg11_1
1 million Afghans registered so far
* Largest registration by a host government
ISLAMABAD: About one million Afghans living in Pakistan have been registered so far in landmark registration drive that will come to an end on December 31, 2006, a press release by the UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) said on Tuesday.
According to the press release, over 631,000 Afghans have been registered in the North West Frontier Province, 174,000 in Balochistan, 122,000 in Punjab, 67,000 in Sindh and 6,000 in Azad Kashmir since the registration started in October. About 48 percent of those registered are females.
ââ¬ÅThis is the largest registration by a host government anywhere in the world,ââ¬Â Sajid Hussain Chattha, secretary of the Ministry of States and Frontier Regions (SAFRON), said in the press release.
Registration has accelerated in recent weeks, with over 28,000 Afghans being registered every day in 50 registration centres and mobile vans countrywide, said the press release.
ââ¬ÅThe recent registration numbers are very encouraging,ââ¬Â said Guenet Guebre-Christos, the UNHCRââ¬â¢s representative in Pakistan. ââ¬ÅBut time is running out. Eligible Afghans should come forward now, to avoid a last-minute rush at the centres at the year end,ââ¬Â she said.
She stressed that since registration is free for all eligible Afghans, any demands for payment must be reported immediately to the UNHCR and the authorities concerned.
The exercise is being conducted by the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) and supported by the Commissionerate for Afghan Refugees (CAR) and the UNHCR. Only those Afghans who were counted in the 2005 census are eligible for registration. The target population is estimated at 2.4 million Afghans. Every registered Afghan above the age of five receives a proof of registration (POR) card that is valid for three years and identifies the bearer as an Afghan citizen living temporarily in Pakistan.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2006\12\20\story_20-12-2006_pg11_1
Pakistan Wants Afghan Refugees Resettled
By CARLOTTA GALL
Published: January 4, 2007
KABUL, Afghanistan, Jan. 4 ââ¬â Pakistanââ¬â¢s prime minister, Shaukat Aziz, said today that three million Afghan refugees living in Pakistan must be resettled in their native country so that their refugee camps can no longer be used as safe havens by insurgents.
The statement by Mr. Aziz followed a meeting with President Hamid Karzai in the Afghan capital. It is the first time Pakistan has been so blunt in saying that the refugees, whom it has hosted for over 20 years since the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, should leave.
Mr. Aziz met with Mr. Karzai in an effort to smooth relations between the two neighbors, relations that have deteriorated steadily over the last year. After two hours, the two leaders emerged with no agreement on the main areas of contention, namely Pakistanââ¬â¢s decision to fence and mine the border and Afghanistanââ¬â¢s plan to convene two tribal gatherings, or jirgas, of national representatives from both countries to foster peace between the two countries.
Shortly before the meeting, Pakistan announced it would go ahead with a plan to fence and mine the long mountainous border between the two countries, a project that Afghanistan has repeatedly rejected as a diversion from the real problem of terrorism, which it says is being incubated in Pakistan. It has also dragged its feet on organizing the tribal gatherings, promising only to form a commission to work on the idea.
ââ¬ÅUnfortunately, the gulf in relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan is getting wider, and it is not getting narrower,ââ¬Â Mr. Karzai said after their meeting. ââ¬ÅThe Afghan people want to remove all those obstacles which create the divide in our relations. Those obstacles are created by terrorist activities which are hindering Afghanistanââ¬â¢s reconstruction and making our schools burn,ââ¬Â he said.
ââ¬ÅSecurity will not come to Afghanistan unless together we and Pakistan, with good and friendly relations, become tough in the fight against terrorism,ââ¬Â he said. He said he wanted to hold the tribal jirgas so people could speak their minds.
Mr. Aziz said the two leaders made an important decision to work on resettling three million Afghan refugees back in Afghanistan and remove the sanctuary that refugee camps provide to insurgents. ââ¬ÅRefugee camps on our side of the border sometimes are safe havens for elements who are from Afghanistan and take safe haven there after conducting activities,ââ¬Â he said.
He also defended Pakistanââ¬â¢s plan to fence and mine the border as one way to restrict the movement of people who represent a threat to security. ââ¬ÅWe believe that selective fencing and mining can help achieve the objective,ââ¬Â he said, adding that the fence and mines would not prevent the ordinary crossing of local tribes living in the area.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/04/world/asia/04cnd-afghan.html
By CARLOTTA GALL
Published: January 4, 2007
KABUL, Afghanistan, Jan. 4 ââ¬â Pakistanââ¬â¢s prime minister, Shaukat Aziz, said today that three million Afghan refugees living in Pakistan must be resettled in their native country so that their refugee camps can no longer be used as safe havens by insurgents.
The statement by Mr. Aziz followed a meeting with President Hamid Karzai in the Afghan capital. It is the first time Pakistan has been so blunt in saying that the refugees, whom it has hosted for over 20 years since the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, should leave.
Mr. Aziz met with Mr. Karzai in an effort to smooth relations between the two neighbors, relations that have deteriorated steadily over the last year. After two hours, the two leaders emerged with no agreement on the main areas of contention, namely Pakistanââ¬â¢s decision to fence and mine the border and Afghanistanââ¬â¢s plan to convene two tribal gatherings, or jirgas, of national representatives from both countries to foster peace between the two countries.
Shortly before the meeting, Pakistan announced it would go ahead with a plan to fence and mine the long mountainous border between the two countries, a project that Afghanistan has repeatedly rejected as a diversion from the real problem of terrorism, which it says is being incubated in Pakistan. It has also dragged its feet on organizing the tribal gatherings, promising only to form a commission to work on the idea.
ââ¬ÅUnfortunately, the gulf in relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan is getting wider, and it is not getting narrower,ââ¬Â Mr. Karzai said after their meeting. ââ¬ÅThe Afghan people want to remove all those obstacles which create the divide in our relations. Those obstacles are created by terrorist activities which are hindering Afghanistanââ¬â¢s reconstruction and making our schools burn,ââ¬Â he said.
ââ¬ÅSecurity will not come to Afghanistan unless together we and Pakistan, with good and friendly relations, become tough in the fight against terrorism,ââ¬Â he said. He said he wanted to hold the tribal jirgas so people could speak their minds.
Mr. Aziz said the two leaders made an important decision to work on resettling three million Afghan refugees back in Afghanistan and remove the sanctuary that refugee camps provide to insurgents. ââ¬ÅRefugee camps on our side of the border sometimes are safe havens for elements who are from Afghanistan and take safe haven there after conducting activities,ââ¬Â he said.
He also defended Pakistanââ¬â¢s plan to fence and mine the border as one way to restrict the movement of people who represent a threat to security. ââ¬ÅWe believe that selective fencing and mining can help achieve the objective,ââ¬Â he said, adding that the fence and mines would not prevent the ordinary crossing of local tribes living in the area.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/04/world/asia/04cnd-afghan.html
NATO, Pakistan says millions of Afghans must go home
By David Brunnstrom
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - NATO and Pakistan agreed on Tuesday that three million Afghan refugees in Pakistan posed a security threat and needed to be repatriated.
Talks between Pakistani Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and the 26 NATO countries with more than 32,000 troops in Afghanistan centered on the need to close the refugee camps that NATO sees as a recruiting ground for extremists, a NATO official said.
"The refugee camps pose a real threat," a NATO official said afterwards. "Certainly NATO wants to see it done."
However, he stressed it was for Afghanistan, Pakistan and the U.N. refugee agency (UNHCR) to determine the timing and that repatriation needed to be done properly.
"Shifting three million people across the border without the appropriate conditions in place for living, for employment, is not a solution."
Many Afghan refugees have been in Pakistan for years because of a succession of wars or conflicts. Large numbers were born in Pakistan and do not want to go back to Afghanistan.
After the talks NATO Secretary-General Jaap De Hoop Scheffer avoided public criticism of Pakistan's failure to stop the infiltration of insurgents across its border with Afghanistan.
Aziz said neighboring Afghanistan needed an approach that included security, development and repatriation.
"We want them to be peaceful, we want them to grow and develop," he said. "All sides have to do more and all sides are committed to a strong and stable Afghanistan."
One alliance diplomat said Aziz had assured NATO nations that efforts to stabilize Afghanistan were Pakistan's top foreign policy objective.
"That was something allies wanted to hear and were glad to hear," he said.
Afghanistan has struggled to cope with the return of more than 4.6 million refugees since the Taliban was overthrown in 2001 by a U.S. invasion in response to the September 11 attacks.
Afghanistan, Pakistan and the UNHCR agree repatriation of the remainder will be voluntary and gradual. Afghanistan would be overwhelmed if Pakistan started forcing back large numbers.
"They simply can't accept too many too quickly," a U.N. official said.
NATO, suffering increasing casualties in Afghanistan, wants Pakistan, an ally in the U.S.-led war on terrorism, to step up efforts against infiltration by pro-Taliban militants.
(Additional reporting by Robert Birsel in Kabul and Mark John in Brussels)
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070130/wl_nm/nato_pakistan_afghan_dc_1
By David Brunnstrom
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - NATO and Pakistan agreed on Tuesday that three million Afghan refugees in Pakistan posed a security threat and needed to be repatriated.
Talks between Pakistani Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and the 26 NATO countries with more than 32,000 troops in Afghanistan centered on the need to close the refugee camps that NATO sees as a recruiting ground for extremists, a NATO official said.
"The refugee camps pose a real threat," a NATO official said afterwards. "Certainly NATO wants to see it done."
However, he stressed it was for Afghanistan, Pakistan and the U.N. refugee agency (UNHCR) to determine the timing and that repatriation needed to be done properly.
"Shifting three million people across the border without the appropriate conditions in place for living, for employment, is not a solution."
Many Afghan refugees have been in Pakistan for years because of a succession of wars or conflicts. Large numbers were born in Pakistan and do not want to go back to Afghanistan.
After the talks NATO Secretary-General Jaap De Hoop Scheffer avoided public criticism of Pakistan's failure to stop the infiltration of insurgents across its border with Afghanistan.
Aziz said neighboring Afghanistan needed an approach that included security, development and repatriation.
"We want them to be peaceful, we want them to grow and develop," he said. "All sides have to do more and all sides are committed to a strong and stable Afghanistan."
One alliance diplomat said Aziz had assured NATO nations that efforts to stabilize Afghanistan were Pakistan's top foreign policy objective.
"That was something allies wanted to hear and were glad to hear," he said.
Afghanistan has struggled to cope with the return of more than 4.6 million refugees since the Taliban was overthrown in 2001 by a U.S. invasion in response to the September 11 attacks.
Afghanistan, Pakistan and the UNHCR agree repatriation of the remainder will be voluntary and gradual. Afghanistan would be overwhelmed if Pakistan started forcing back large numbers.
"They simply can't accept too many too quickly," a U.N. official said.
NATO, suffering increasing casualties in Afghanistan, wants Pakistan, an ally in the U.S.-led war on terrorism, to step up efforts against infiltration by pro-Taliban militants.
(Additional reporting by Robert Birsel in Kabul and Mark John in Brussels)
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070130/wl_nm/nato_pakistan_afghan_dc_1
Afghan registration in Pakistan tops 2 million mark
02 Feb 2007
Source: UNHCR
The number of Afghans registered by the government of Pakistan with support from UNHCR will pass the 2 million mark today following the resumption of the registration operation after the break for Ashura and Muharram.
The 2 million people registered since the start of the exercise in October 2006 account for over 80 percent of the target population of 2.4 million Afghans in Pakistan. Nearly 65 percent of those registered are in North West Frontier Province (NWFP); 20 percent in Balochistan; 10 percent in Punjab/Islamabad; 5 percent in Sindh and the rest in Pakistan-administered Kashmir (AJK). Registration is conducted by Pakistan's National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) with help from the Commissionerate for Afghan Refugees (CAR) and UNHCR.
The exercise has been completed in large parts of the country. It is scheduled to finish by mid-February in the remaining sites in Islamabad, NWFP and Balochistan.
Only Afghans who were counted in the Pakistan government census of February/March 2005 are eligible for registration. Those registered receive Proof of Registration (POR) cards that recognize them as Afghan citizens temporarily living in Pakistan. The PoR cards have a validity of three years.
UNHCR estimates that some 2.4 million Afghans remain in Pakistan, 70 percent of them women, children and the elderly. Approximately 60 percent are living in Pakistan's cities and towns, while the remainder live in 85 refugee villages and settlements, mostly in NWFP and Balochistan.
UNHCR, in close cooperation with the governments of Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iran, has supported major voluntary repatriation movements since 2002. Over the past five years, 4.8 million Afghans have returned home, predominantly from Iran and Pakistan. A total of 3.7 million of them returned with UNHCR assistance. Of these, 2.8 million have returned from Pakistan.
To assist the policies, planning and implementation of voluntary repatriation programmes, UNHCR and the governments have established Tripartite Commissions which meet on a regular basis. The next Tripartite Commission meeting with Afghanistan and Pakistan is set for 6-7 February in Lahore, Pakistan.
After four years of exceptionally high repatriation levels, the assisted return figures (139,000) in 2006 from both Pakistan and Iran decreased significantly. In UNHCR's view, there are three main factors contributing to this trend ââ¬â the fact that 80 percent of the remaining Afghan population in those two countries has now been in exile for more than 20 years; the limited absorption capacity of Afghanistan's economy; and the recent rise in insecurity in provinces from where many Afghans originate.
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/UNHCR/b95e27218229d8819db89a882386bc71.htm
02 Feb 2007
Source: UNHCR
The number of Afghans registered by the government of Pakistan with support from UNHCR will pass the 2 million mark today following the resumption of the registration operation after the break for Ashura and Muharram.
The 2 million people registered since the start of the exercise in October 2006 account for over 80 percent of the target population of 2.4 million Afghans in Pakistan. Nearly 65 percent of those registered are in North West Frontier Province (NWFP); 20 percent in Balochistan; 10 percent in Punjab/Islamabad; 5 percent in Sindh and the rest in Pakistan-administered Kashmir (AJK). Registration is conducted by Pakistan's National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) with help from the Commissionerate for Afghan Refugees (CAR) and UNHCR.
The exercise has been completed in large parts of the country. It is scheduled to finish by mid-February in the remaining sites in Islamabad, NWFP and Balochistan.
Only Afghans who were counted in the Pakistan government census of February/March 2005 are eligible for registration. Those registered receive Proof of Registration (POR) cards that recognize them as Afghan citizens temporarily living in Pakistan. The PoR cards have a validity of three years.
UNHCR estimates that some 2.4 million Afghans remain in Pakistan, 70 percent of them women, children and the elderly. Approximately 60 percent are living in Pakistan's cities and towns, while the remainder live in 85 refugee villages and settlements, mostly in NWFP and Balochistan.
UNHCR, in close cooperation with the governments of Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iran, has supported major voluntary repatriation movements since 2002. Over the past five years, 4.8 million Afghans have returned home, predominantly from Iran and Pakistan. A total of 3.7 million of them returned with UNHCR assistance. Of these, 2.8 million have returned from Pakistan.
To assist the policies, planning and implementation of voluntary repatriation programmes, UNHCR and the governments have established Tripartite Commissions which meet on a regular basis. The next Tripartite Commission meeting with Afghanistan and Pakistan is set for 6-7 February in Lahore, Pakistan.
After four years of exceptionally high repatriation levels, the assisted return figures (139,000) in 2006 from both Pakistan and Iran decreased significantly. In UNHCR's view, there are three main factors contributing to this trend ââ¬â the fact that 80 percent of the remaining Afghan population in those two countries has now been in exile for more than 20 years; the limited absorption capacity of Afghanistan's economy; and the recent rise in insecurity in provinces from where many Afghans originate.
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/UNHCR/b95e27218229d8819db89a882386bc71.htm
Afghan refugees fear war, reluctant to go home
By Saeed Ali Achakzai
PIR ALIZAI CAMP, Pakistan (Reuters) - Pakistan says its Afghan refugee camps are a hotbed of support for a resurgent Taliban and they should be closed, but it seems no one in the Pir Alizai camp wants to go home.
A sprawling settlement of about 150,000 refugees crammed into mud houses about 50 km (30 miles) from the Afghan border, Pir Alizai was set up soon after Soviet forces invaded Afghanistan in 1979.
Nearly 30 years later and Afghanistan is still at war, but Pakistan is now determined to close the camp, and other similar settlements, saying they have become sanctuaries for Taliban battling the Afghan government and U.S. and NATO troops across the border.
"There's no peace in Afghanistan, we can't go there in this situation," said Haji Zardad Khan, a 55-year-old resident of the camp. "We'd even be willing to go to Pakistani jails rather than go back to our country."
Violence surged in Afghanistan last year to its most intense since U.S.-led forces ousted the Taliban in 2001. Afghanistan and its allies say the Taliban's strength is partly a result of safe havens in Pakistan.
NATO and Pakistan agreed this week that three million Afghan refugees in Pakistan posed a security threat and needed to be repatriated.
Afghanistan has struggled to cope with the return of more than 4.6 million refugees since the Taliban were overthrown.
Afghanistan, Pakistan and the U.N. refugee agency agree repatriation of the remainder will be voluntary and gradual. Afghanistan would be overwhelmed if Pakistan started forcing back large numbers, aid officials say.
Four camps in Pakistan are due to be closed soon but there are numerous others -- small and large -- scattered across border provinces.
Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf told a news conference in the city of Rawalpindi on Friday the camps, particularly those in Baluchistan province, like Pir Alizai, were Taliban havens.
"We don't want them here, take them away, let them go back to Afghanistan," he said.
"NOBODY KNOWS"
But residents of Pir Alizai denied Taliban militants were hiding in the camp, although some people appeared sympathetic toward the Islamists battling to expel U.S. and NATO troops and defeat the Western-backed government of President Hamid Karzai.
"There's unrest in Afghanistan and there's no system there," said Mohammad Tahir Agha, 35, a cleric at a religious school in the camp. "The government is corrupt so they level these allegations that the Taliban and al Qaeda have headquarters here."
One young man said angrily that foreign "infidel" troops must leave Afghanistan.
"How can we go back when America is there?" asked the man, Mateen Jan, 26. He said he was eight years old when he came to Pakistan with his family.
"Musharraf is now our president. Hamid Karzai brought infidels to our country and unless they are expelled we won't recognize Karzai as our president," he said.
Police and other security agencies have no presence in the camps, which are run by shuras, or councils, made up of residents.
"Nobody knows exactly who is in the camps," said a security official.
Bibi Fatima, 56, said she didn't want to face U.S. bombing back in Afghanistan.
"We just want to be allowed to live here," she said. "Pakistan tells us to go back but instead of being killed by American bombs there it would be better if Pakistani bombs killed us here."
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070202/wl_nm/pakistan_afghan_refugees_dc_1
By Saeed Ali Achakzai
PIR ALIZAI CAMP, Pakistan (Reuters) - Pakistan says its Afghan refugee camps are a hotbed of support for a resurgent Taliban and they should be closed, but it seems no one in the Pir Alizai camp wants to go home.
A sprawling settlement of about 150,000 refugees crammed into mud houses about 50 km (30 miles) from the Afghan border, Pir Alizai was set up soon after Soviet forces invaded Afghanistan in 1979.
Nearly 30 years later and Afghanistan is still at war, but Pakistan is now determined to close the camp, and other similar settlements, saying they have become sanctuaries for Taliban battling the Afghan government and U.S. and NATO troops across the border.
"There's no peace in Afghanistan, we can't go there in this situation," said Haji Zardad Khan, a 55-year-old resident of the camp. "We'd even be willing to go to Pakistani jails rather than go back to our country."
Violence surged in Afghanistan last year to its most intense since U.S.-led forces ousted the Taliban in 2001. Afghanistan and its allies say the Taliban's strength is partly a result of safe havens in Pakistan.
NATO and Pakistan agreed this week that three million Afghan refugees in Pakistan posed a security threat and needed to be repatriated.
Afghanistan has struggled to cope with the return of more than 4.6 million refugees since the Taliban were overthrown.
Afghanistan, Pakistan and the U.N. refugee agency agree repatriation of the remainder will be voluntary and gradual. Afghanistan would be overwhelmed if Pakistan started forcing back large numbers, aid officials say.
Four camps in Pakistan are due to be closed soon but there are numerous others -- small and large -- scattered across border provinces.
Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf told a news conference in the city of Rawalpindi on Friday the camps, particularly those in Baluchistan province, like Pir Alizai, were Taliban havens.
"We don't want them here, take them away, let them go back to Afghanistan," he said.
"NOBODY KNOWS"
But residents of Pir Alizai denied Taliban militants were hiding in the camp, although some people appeared sympathetic toward the Islamists battling to expel U.S. and NATO troops and defeat the Western-backed government of President Hamid Karzai.
"There's unrest in Afghanistan and there's no system there," said Mohammad Tahir Agha, 35, a cleric at a religious school in the camp. "The government is corrupt so they level these allegations that the Taliban and al Qaeda have headquarters here."
One young man said angrily that foreign "infidel" troops must leave Afghanistan.
"How can we go back when America is there?" asked the man, Mateen Jan, 26. He said he was eight years old when he came to Pakistan with his family.
"Musharraf is now our president. Hamid Karzai brought infidels to our country and unless they are expelled we won't recognize Karzai as our president," he said.
Police and other security agencies have no presence in the camps, which are run by shuras, or councils, made up of residents.
"Nobody knows exactly who is in the camps," said a security official.
Bibi Fatima, 56, said she didn't want to face U.S. bombing back in Afghanistan.
"We just want to be allowed to live here," she said. "Pakistan tells us to go back but instead of being killed by American bombs there it would be better if Pakistani bombs killed us here."
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070202/wl_nm/pakistan_afghan_refugees_dc_1
Pakistan pressing Afghan refugees to leave
From the Associated Press
February 8, 2007
ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN ââ¬â Pakistan will close four camps housing 240,000 Afghan refugees this year and hopes that more than 2 million who fled to this country will return home by 2009 because they pose a security risk, officials said Wednesday.
The four camps in Pakistan's troubled border region will close by August, the United Nations refugee agency said after its representatives met with Pakistani and Afghan ministers.
Sajid Hussain Chattha, a senior Pakistani official, said he was hopeful that the majority of the camps' 240,000 inhabitants would return to Afghanistan, though some may opt to move to other camps in Pakistan.
More than 2 million Afghans already have chosen to return home with help from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees since U.S.-led forces toppled the Taliban regime at the end of 2001.
However, a survey begun in October has registered 2.1 million Afghan refugees still in the country and the government is pressing for them to go home.
President Gen. Pervez Musharraf said last week that the refugee camps were a haven for Taliban militants and their supporters and that their maze-like streets were too dangerous for security forces to enter.
Wednesday's meeting was held in a five-star hotel where a suicide bomber killed a security guard last month, one of a series of blasts in Pakistan that officials suspect were the work of Taliban-linked militants in its border region.
Many of the Afghans in Pakistan arrived in the wake of the 1979 military invasion of Afghanistan by the former Soviet Union and during the civil war that followed the Soviets' departure a decade later.
Most live in dusty refugee camps or in squalid settlements near major cities.
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-refugees8feb08,1,5201825.story?track=rss
From the Associated Press
February 8, 2007
ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN ââ¬â Pakistan will close four camps housing 240,000 Afghan refugees this year and hopes that more than 2 million who fled to this country will return home by 2009 because they pose a security risk, officials said Wednesday.
The four camps in Pakistan's troubled border region will close by August, the United Nations refugee agency said after its representatives met with Pakistani and Afghan ministers.
Sajid Hussain Chattha, a senior Pakistani official, said he was hopeful that the majority of the camps' 240,000 inhabitants would return to Afghanistan, though some may opt to move to other camps in Pakistan.
More than 2 million Afghans already have chosen to return home with help from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees since U.S.-led forces toppled the Taliban regime at the end of 2001.
However, a survey begun in October has registered 2.1 million Afghan refugees still in the country and the government is pressing for them to go home.
President Gen. Pervez Musharraf said last week that the refugee camps were a haven for Taliban militants and their supporters and that their maze-like streets were too dangerous for security forces to enter.
Wednesday's meeting was held in a five-star hotel where a suicide bomber killed a security guard last month, one of a series of blasts in Pakistan that officials suspect were the work of Taliban-linked militants in its border region.
Many of the Afghans in Pakistan arrived in the wake of the 1979 military invasion of Afghanistan by the former Soviet Union and during the civil war that followed the Soviets' departure a decade later.
Most live in dusty refugee camps or in squalid settlements near major cities.
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-refugees8feb08,1,5201825.story?track=rss
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Repatriating Afghan refugees a problem
Daily Times Monitor
LAHORE: Like more than 100,000 Afghans, Maulana Mohammed Afzal has lived in the mud-baked lanes of this refugee camp ever since he fled war-ravaged Afghanistan 26 years ago. The camp is home for his family, but the Pakistani government says itââ¬â¢s a threat to national security.
In its most recent effort to clamp down on Taliban activity within its borders, Pakistan announced that all 2.4 million Afghan refugees, most living in camps, must return home by 2009. This and three other camps near the Afghan border, which together hold 230,000 refugees, are scheduled to be closed by the end of August.
ââ¬ÅThe problem of cross-border militancy is closely related to the presence of Afghan refugees in Pakistan,ââ¬Â Pakistanââ¬â¢s permanent representative to the United Nations wrote recently to the UN Security Council. However, a report in The Christian Science Monitor said that several people disagreed. The report quoted people opposed to Pakistanââ¬â¢s plans as saying that Afghan refugees were only being made a scapegoat.
The debate comes as the US defence secretary met President Pervez Musharraf in Islamabad this week to discuss the Talibanââ¬â¢s expected spring offensive in Afghanistan.
According to the report, as pressure mounts on Pakistan, analysts say the fate of the Afghan refugee community ââ¬â the worldââ¬â¢s largest ââ¬â is an important piece in the puzzle of regional militancy. Simply shifting them across the border could flame tensions.
ââ¬ÅThe Afghan government is not capable of providing for their rehabilitation. It will be a source of more conflict inside Afghanistan,ââ¬Â Aimal Khan, a political analyst at the Sustainable Development Policy Institute in Islamabad, was quoted as saying.
Set against such a backdrop, a recent burst of violence radiating from Pakistanââ¬â¢s tribal zone has placed renewed attention on refugee camps as potential hotbeds, although no Afghan suspects have been identified.
The Jalozai camp looks like a small, bustling city, but a cloud of controversy hangs over its dirt lanes. According to Western media reports, the camp has incubated several high-profile terrorists. FBI agents raided the camp in October 2002, arresting four Afghans they said were connected to Al Qaeda.
Today, the Pakistani government says that Jalozai and other refugee camps help fuel the Taliban resurgence.
Closing down the camps may ease the building pressure on Pakistan to combat militancy within its borders, but The Christian Science Monitor report quoted observers as saying that the move could cause more problems than it solved.
An exodus of poor Afghans is likely to exacerbate existing social and economic problems inside Afghanistan. Also, refugees without a home or means to support themselves could fall in with the Taliban.
ââ¬ÅTheyââ¬â¢re made a scapegoat,ââ¬Â said Behroz Khan, a journalist in Peshawar. ââ¬ÅIf these families are sent back by force, they will turn towards forces that are against Pakistan.ââ¬Â
Some 2.8 million Afghans have already voluntarily repatriated since 2002. Those who remain in camps feel they would be vulnerable if they return to Afghanistan.
Observers also agree that finding a solution to the problem is likely to be difficult. Pakistan is not a signatory to the UNââ¬â¢s 1951 Refugee Convention, meaning there is no clear-cut policy on how to handle refugees here. Many hope alternative solutions can be agreed on.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007\02\15\story_15-2-2007_pg7_29
Repatriating Afghan refugees a problem
Daily Times Monitor
LAHORE: Like more than 100,000 Afghans, Maulana Mohammed Afzal has lived in the mud-baked lanes of this refugee camp ever since he fled war-ravaged Afghanistan 26 years ago. The camp is home for his family, but the Pakistani government says itââ¬â¢s a threat to national security.
In its most recent effort to clamp down on Taliban activity within its borders, Pakistan announced that all 2.4 million Afghan refugees, most living in camps, must return home by 2009. This and three other camps near the Afghan border, which together hold 230,000 refugees, are scheduled to be closed by the end of August.
ââ¬ÅThe problem of cross-border militancy is closely related to the presence of Afghan refugees in Pakistan,ââ¬Â Pakistanââ¬â¢s permanent representative to the United Nations wrote recently to the UN Security Council. However, a report in The Christian Science Monitor said that several people disagreed. The report quoted people opposed to Pakistanââ¬â¢s plans as saying that Afghan refugees were only being made a scapegoat.
The debate comes as the US defence secretary met President Pervez Musharraf in Islamabad this week to discuss the Talibanââ¬â¢s expected spring offensive in Afghanistan.
According to the report, as pressure mounts on Pakistan, analysts say the fate of the Afghan refugee community ââ¬â the worldââ¬â¢s largest ââ¬â is an important piece in the puzzle of regional militancy. Simply shifting them across the border could flame tensions.
ââ¬ÅThe Afghan government is not capable of providing for their rehabilitation. It will be a source of more conflict inside Afghanistan,ââ¬Â Aimal Khan, a political analyst at the Sustainable Development Policy Institute in Islamabad, was quoted as saying.
Set against such a backdrop, a recent burst of violence radiating from Pakistanââ¬â¢s tribal zone has placed renewed attention on refugee camps as potential hotbeds, although no Afghan suspects have been identified.
The Jalozai camp looks like a small, bustling city, but a cloud of controversy hangs over its dirt lanes. According to Western media reports, the camp has incubated several high-profile terrorists. FBI agents raided the camp in October 2002, arresting four Afghans they said were connected to Al Qaeda.
Today, the Pakistani government says that Jalozai and other refugee camps help fuel the Taliban resurgence.
Closing down the camps may ease the building pressure on Pakistan to combat militancy within its borders, but The Christian Science Monitor report quoted observers as saying that the move could cause more problems than it solved.
An exodus of poor Afghans is likely to exacerbate existing social and economic problems inside Afghanistan. Also, refugees without a home or means to support themselves could fall in with the Taliban.
ââ¬ÅTheyââ¬â¢re made a scapegoat,ââ¬Â said Behroz Khan, a journalist in Peshawar. ââ¬ÅIf these families are sent back by force, they will turn towards forces that are against Pakistan.ââ¬Â
Some 2.8 million Afghans have already voluntarily repatriated since 2002. Those who remain in camps feel they would be vulnerable if they return to Afghanistan.
Observers also agree that finding a solution to the problem is likely to be difficult. Pakistan is not a signatory to the UNââ¬â¢s 1951 Refugee Convention, meaning there is no clear-cut policy on how to handle refugees here. Many hope alternative solutions can be agreed on.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007\02\15\story_15-2-2007_pg7_29
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