2.9 Million Afghanis
The Senate Standing Committee on States and Frontier Regions (SAFRON) was informed that there are approximately 2.9 million Afghan nationals currently residing in Pakistan.
This population is divided into two primary groups: 1.45 million Afghan refugees holding Proof of Registration (PoR) cards and 0.814 million Afghan nationals holding Afghan Citizen Cards.
The committee, chaired by Senator Jan Muhammad Buledi, undertook a review of SAFRON’s core responsibilities.
These include the governance of Afghan refugees, facilitating their repatriation, and overseeing the administration of former princely states. For the fiscal year 2024-25, SAFRON has been allocated a budget of Rs978.211 million to fulfill these duties.
During the session, the committee was presented with a detailed demographic breakdown showing that a significant portion of the refugee population, about 74%, is under the age of 25.
SAFRON elaborated on its ongoing efforts to promote sustainable repatriation in collaboration with the Afghan government, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), and other international partners.
These efforts include providing financial assistance to returnees, with UNHCR offering $375 per individual returnee and $700 per returning family to support their resettlement in Afghanistan.
The committee was further informed that 90% of Afghan refugees holding PoR cards have voluntarily repatriated.
However, it was noted that international support for refugee management has seen a decline, with a significant portion of UNHCR’s funding now being directed through international NGOs rather than direct support to refugee operations.
Senator Dost Mohammad Khan highlighted several issues pertaining to the social, economic, financial, and administrative challenges faced by the merged districts of the former FATA region.
He pointed out that these challenges have been exacerbated since the merger, raising concerns about the need for targeted interventions to address these problems effectively.
Additional data presented during the session revealed that, as of May 31, 2024, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported 1,220,034 spontaneous returns of unregistered Afghan individuals.
Concurrently, UNHCR reported that 4,434,231 registered Afghan refugees have returned to Afghanistan, indicating a substantial movement of the refugee population over recent years.
In conclusion, the committee underscored the importance of continued international cooperation and support in managing the Afghan refugee situation.
The need for comprehensive strategies to address the ongoing challenges in the merged districts of former FATA was also emphasized, with a call for increased funding and targeted developmental initiatives to support these regions effectively.
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