Afghan Repatriation Deadline Extended

Afghan Repatriation Deadline Extended

The second phase of repatriating Afghan refugees has been extended to June 2024.
It has increased anxiety among the Afghans, many of whom were born here. Even their parents were born in Pakistan, as a result of which they are unfamiliar with the changed socio-political backdrop of Afghanistan.

The Development Insight Lab mentions that 19% of Afghan residents are employed in Pakistan.
Out of the working Afghan population, 54% are daily wage laborers, 21% are engaged in small-scale businesses, 0.3% are involved in large-scale businesses, with the remainder dependent on personal income.

The new generation of Afghan refugees in Pakistan is also striving for education, including acquiring language skills and computer training.
According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), there are 2.18 million registered Afghan migrants in Pakistan.
In addition to the 1.3 million refugees registered during the 2006 census, an additional 880,000 refugees were included after the registration campaign in 2017, when Afghan citizen cards were issued.

In 2023, human rights organizations expressed concern over the repatriation process of Afghan migrants from Pakistan.
Afghan rights activists say that if they are sent back to Afghanistan, financial assistance is needed to help them assimilate back in their societies.