RefugeesTemporary Residence Card Holders Get Reprieve Until June 30
The Pakistani government has announced an extension of the stay for Afghan refugees holding United Nations Refugee Agency (POR) registration cards with less than two months remaining on their stay.
Kabul 24: The Ministry of States and Borders of Pakistan issued a statement on Monday, stating that the period of stay for these Afghan refugees has been extended until June 30.
Second Phase of Expulsion Underway
This decision comes as the Pakistani government has begun the second phase of expelling refugees from the country, which started on April 27. As part of this phase, the authorities have ordered the police to quickly gather information about the residences of Afghans holding temporary residence cards. It is expected that around 400,000 Afghan refugees will be deported from Pakistan at this stage.
Large Number of Afghan Refugees in Pakistan
According to statistics from international organizations, approximately 2.18 million Afghan refugees with documents reside in Pakistan. This includes around 1.3 million people with registration cards and more than 880 thousand people with temporary residence cards.
Despite the ongoing expulsion process, more than 543 thousand Afghan refugees have been expelled from Pakistan or have voluntarily returned to Afghanistan since the beginning of the forced expulsion of refugees from Pakistan.
