PESHAWAR: The United Nations High Commissioner of Refugees (UNHCR) has approached the government of Pakistan for the re-registration of more than half a million illegal Afghan refugees living in Pakistan. The UNHCR also urged for a legal framework to provide basic rights to refugees, asylum seekers and stateless people.
The UN has also recommended that the registration of a large number of illegal Afghan refugees residing in Pakistan be resumed. The UN urged that justice should be provided to the refugees by conducting transparent investigation of harassment cases and determining those responsible officials.
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The United Nations has called on the government to ensure that pre-registered Afghan refugees are allowed to live freely in Pakistan until conditions in their country improve. “Registration should be initiated to provide legal protection to the Afghans presence in Pakistan,” the UNHCR stressed.
The United Nations has recommended that complaints of harassment against Afghan refugees by the police be investigated transparently and those responsible be brought to justice.
The Government of Pakistan has been recommended to develop a legal framework in which refugees, asylum seekers and persons deprived of state have the right to live in accordance with international norms and standards. The commission directed to formulate a policy and legal framework for the homeless and said that practical steps should be taken to provide access to health, education and other facilities to the homeless living in the camps and rehabilitate them in their homes.
At present, there are more than 3 million Afghans in Pakistan, of which 1.4 million are Afghan refugees registered with the United Nation High Commissioner of Refugees. There are also 880,000 Afghans who have Afghan citizenship cards and non-Afghan citizenship. The number of legally registered citizens is more than half a million.