Longer-term solutions needed for issue of Afghan refugees in Pakistan: UNHCR chief

Wrapping up a three-day visit to Pakistan, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, called for more efforts towards longer-term solutions for Afghans in Pakistan, and support for their host communities.

According to a statement issued by UNHCR, Grandi visited Peshawar and Haripur in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province where he met with Afghan refugees in urban settings as well as in a refugee village.

People he met shared a message of anxiety regarding their situation, but also of their desire to contribute to their communities in Pakistan, as well as eventually in Afghanistan.

During discussions in Islamabad with senior officials, including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Grandi called for the timely extension of the Proof of Registration (PoR) cards for Afghan refugees.

This is a crucial identity document held by over 1.3 million Afghans in Pakistan.

Grandi expressed appreciation at the suspension of the repatriation program and asked that it remain on hold.

Recognizing the challenges facing Pakistan and its willingness to host over a million Afghans, Grandi called for an urgent “reset of the aid model” towards solutions.

“We need to seize this opportunity to accelerate solutions, and have a bigger, broader vision for the Afghan people in Pakistan,” he noted.

Grandi said he hoped to arrange a dialogue later this year in order to bring together key stakeholders to help find solutions that benefit both Pakistan and Afghanistan.

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