Pakistan has extended the residence cards of registered Afghan refugees or those with Proof of Registration (POR) cards, until June 30, 2025.
Some Pakistani media outlets have reported that this decision was made by the country’s cabinet, and, according to it, the cards of 1.45 million registered Afghan refugees have been extended for another year.
According to a statement from the office of the prime minister of Pakistan, the validity of PoR cards for nearly one and a half million Afghan refugees expired on June 30, 2024.
Part of the statement from the prime minister’s office regarding the decision of the central cabinet meeting reads: “The cabinet also approved a one-year extension of Proof of Registration (POR) cards for 1.45 million Afghan refugees legally residing in the country and whose POR cards expired last month. The extension in the POR cards has been granted till 30th June next year.”
“In other areas where Afghan refugees face problems, such as in the fields of education, employment, and residence, consultations should be held with the host government,” Mohammad Khan Mohammadi, a migrant rights activist, told TOLOnews.
Filippo Grandi, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, welcomed this action by the Pakistani government and added that now the focus should be on sustainable solutions and support.
Some Afghan refugees in Pakistan have expressed happiness over this action by the government of Pakistan and added that although there are still some challenges they face, the extension of their residence cards can provide them with many facilities.
“The extension of refugee residence cards creates many facilities for refugees; among them, refugees can move freely and continue their work,” said Mir Hussain Ziaei, an Afghan refugee in Pakistan.
At the same time, the Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation, while welcoming this decision by the Pakistani government, has asked Afghan refugees to voluntarily return to the country.
The Ministry has reported that over 1,200 families have returned to the country from Pakistan and Iran in the past week.
Abdul Mutalib Haqqani, a spokesman for the Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation, said: “In the past week, 1,232 families have returned to the country, of which 702 families came from Iran and 530 families from Pakistan.”
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) announced yesterday (Wednesday) that the deportation of Afghan citizens from Pakistan has been suspended; a matter that was once again denied by the Pakistani government.
