PESHAWAR, June 20: The UNHCR is working with the government of Pakistan and talks are underway for grant of extension in stay to those Afghan refugees who possess the proof of registration till end of the current month.
Jacques Franquin, head of the UNHCR sub-office in Peshawar, said this during a function held to mark the World Refugee Day at the University of Peshawar on Thursday.
”We are adhering to the principles outlined in Strategic Solutions for Afghan Refugees (SSAR) that seek to encourage voluntary repatriation in the fulfillment of the 51 Convention for refugees,” he said.
The SSAR underlines the importance of building financial, human, social, physical, natural and other assets to empower refugees and returnees along with strengthening the capacities of local populations to create sustainable livelihoods for access to basic social needs.
Celebrating the day aims to inform the people that refugees are the people forcibly evicted from their places, he said.
“The refugees don’t leave their countries out of choice but do so to stay alive,” he said.
Some people oppose refugees’ stay arguing they are burden on the local resources, Mr Franquin said, adding that refugees contributed to local economy, society and cultures of the countries where they lived.
The UNHCR official said that the people and government of Pakistan deserved a special praise for extending the fullest possible cooperation and asylum to the Afghan refugees in Pakistan. “We appreciate the courage shown by Afghan refugees during the three-decade stay as well the generous hospitality by Pakistan and its population,” he said.
Meanwhile, a press release said that 83,000 Afghans refugees had returned to their country in 2012 and 19,000 this year so far under the UNHCR’s voluntary repatriation. Since 2002, 3.8 million refugees had returned from Pakistan while 1.64 million were still on its oil.