ISLAMABAD: Fearing uncertainty in Afghanistan following the withdrawal of US forces in 2014, the Pakistan government has formulated a draft policy which calls for voluntary repatriation of refugees and stringent border management measures.
The National Policy on Management and Repatriation of Afghan Refugees, shared with Kabul and UNHCR, comes amid confusion surrounding emerging political developments as the US completes its withdrawal from Afghanistan.
The cabinet in its July 25 meeting was informed that the primary policy on Afghan refugees expired in 2012 but the then prime minister extended the validity of the Proof Registration Cards and Tripartite Agreement until June 30, 2013.
A cabinet sub-committee was set up to recommend strategies to deal with Afghan refugees and the States and Frontier Division formulated a draft policy.
It was discussed in Kabul on June 28. Repatriation of Afghan refugees is guided by the Tripartite Agreement signed by Islamabad, Kabul and the UNHCR in 2003.
Voluntarism and gradualism were the guiding principles in the agreement for sustainable repatriation. Since 2002, more than 3.8 million Afghans have been repatriated. The draft policy calls for extending Proof Registration Cards and Tripartite Agreement until December 31, 2015 and emphasises voluntary repatriation as a preferred solution, ruling out local integration. It seeks to adopt quarterly targets for repatriation set by Pakistan, Afghanistan and UNHCR. Internews
