DOCSLIB.ORG

Afghans in Pakistan Sanaa Alimia

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Afghans in Pakistan Sanaa Alimia 24 Afghanistan’s displaced people: 2014 and beyond FMR 46 May 2014 Violence and vulnerabilities: Afghans in Pakistan Sanaa Alimia Given that the majority of Afghans who live in Pakistan today are unlikely to return to Afghanistan, more needs to be done to address their vulnerabilities and protect them from harassment and violence. There are an estimated 1.6 million registered of basic services is unreliable, and some NGOs Afghan refugees and one to two million are unwilling to invest in Afghan areas for undocumented Afghans in Pakistan. After fear that the area will be closed down. Routine 2001 the Government of Pakistan no longer arrests, harassment, arbitrary detention and recognised Afghans entering Pakistan as even deportation of Afghans have become refugees, and these undocumented Afghans common. Increasing security threats have have no legal protection. The majority of meant that security checkpoints are a routine Afghans in Pakistan live in the Khyber feature of daily life – and an identity card, Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces which many Afghans lack, is essential. although a significant number have settled in Furthermore, the systematic targeting of Karachi, Islamabad and various urban areas Afghans is also seen by many as a strategy in the Punjab. Many registered Afghans live to ‘encourage’ repatriation to Afghanistan. in refugee tented villages (RTVs), mainly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, but the majority of Afghans live in rented or “Pakistan is no longer safe for us. They [the state] informally purchased accommodation, in just want us to go. This is why they constantly harass regulated and unregulated (i.e. squatter) areas. us.” (Afghan Pakhtun refugee who has lived in Pakistan since 1982) The majority of Afghan refugees in Pakistan first arrived in the 1980s and early 1990s and have firmly established lives in Pakistan. Recommendations for 2014 and beyond Many have contributed to the economic Many Afghans in Pakistan either live growth in rural and urban areas and have transnational lives, moving between formed deep social relations with Pakistanis Afghanistan and Pakistan, or have through friendships, marriages or business limited intention and scope for returning partnerships, or through living in shared to Afghanistan, whether because of the neighbourhoods. Despite this, hostility continued conflict in Afghanistan or because towards Afghans has increased significantly of their improved social position in Pakistan. in recent years, triggered by factors such as The Pakistani government and international ‘hosting fatigue’ and nationalist tensions. and local NGOs should plan and act accordingly. Afghans are increasingly negatively stereotyped in public discourse and in Greater efforts to support vulnerable Afghans the media. Once idolised as the heroic who have limited access to health care, mujahideen (‘religious fighters’), Afghans in water and sanitation are needed, and local Pakistan are now seen more in the light of NGO actors should be encouraged to assist the destructive Taliban, and this increased in this. Residents of RTVs are often keen to hostility towards Afghans has had a number become self-sufficient and have organised of negative impacts for Afghans. Security of committees to deal with pressing issues such housing for Afghans in Pakistan, whether as access to clean water. Better coordination in RTVs, informal housing areas or rented and communication between local NGOs and accommodation, is precarious and sudden Afghan communities could support these sharp increases in rent are common. Provision communities in improving their environment. Afghanistan’s displaced people: 2014 and beyond 25 FMR 46 May 2014 More space for positive discourse on the that the majority of Afghans who remain ways in which Afghans contribute towards in Pakistan today are unlikely to return Pakistani society should be created. For to Afghanistan, the government should example, the Citizens Archive Project consider introducing an amnesty scheme in Karachi records the oral histories which would allow Afghans to become legal of migrants in Pakistan; it currently citizens of the state, thereby allowing the focuses only on migrations that took state to better govern a sizeable population place during Pakistan’s Partition and that is de facto a part of the state as well as Independence but could be encouraged to providing this population with full rights make space for Afghan oral histories.1 and protection. If not this, then, at the very least, Afghans should be provided with Continued education for government actors long-term work and/or residency permits (including local courts), civil society actors that are not as ad hoc and unpredictable as and the Pakistani police and security forces the current Afghan registration card which on the legal rights of Afghans in Pakistan requires frequent renewal that is not always should be promoted by the Government of guaranteed and is often delayed. Afghans are Pakistan and UNHCR. And legal aid for an integral and long-term part of Pakistan. Afghans should continue to be promoted This must now be recognised in law. by UNHCR implementing partners in areas with high Afghan populations. Sanaa Alimia [email protected] is a Senior Teaching Fellow at the School of Oriental and In the longer term, the Government of African Studies (SOAS), London. www.soas.ac.uk Pakistan should be encouraged to recognise This paper is based on fieldwork conducted in what is already a reality in Pakistan: that Karachi and Peshawar since 2010. millions of ‘non-nationals’ are an integral and long-term part of Pakistan. Given 1. www.citizensarchive.org/oral-history-project/ Returning from Iran Armando Geller and Maciej M Latek Understanding the factors that have an impact on refugee decision making about return and people’s ability to reintegrate following return is critical in planning appropriate pre- and post- return programmes for Afghan refugees in Iran. While the key factors impeding return that many recent returnees from Iran are well understood (security, economic find that the challenges to their reinteg- opportunities and access to housing and basic ration in Afghanistan are compounded services), there remain significant knowledge by two key pre-return circumstances: gaps relating to many social and personal 1) the weak social and economic ties they aspects of the return and reintegration stages retained to their watan (home country) of the displacement cycle for Afghan refugees. and 2) the inability to make reasonably Improved understanding in this area could well-informed decisions about return.1 inform cross-border programming options in order to better equip Afghan refugees – The emergence of negative push factors who may have spent many years in exile – Cross-border kinship, friendship and business with the necessary skills and knowledge networks are often thought of as primary for successful return and reintegration. linkages between Afghan populations in Iran and Afghanistan.2 Our interviews in Research in late 2013 for the Norwegian the high-return areas of Balkh and Sar-e Pol Refugee Council provides clear indications suggest, however, that the function and power .
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Pakistan's Future Policy Towards Afghanistan. a Look At
    DIIS REPORT 2011:08 DIIS REPORT PAKISTAN’S FUTURE POLICY TOWARDS AFGHANISTAN A LOOK AT STRATEGIC DEPTH, MILITANT MOVEMENTS AND THE ROLE OF INDIA AND THE US Qandeel Siddique DIIS REPORT 2011:08 DIIS REPORT DIIS . DANISH INSTITUTE FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDIES 1 DIIS REPORT 2011:08 © Copenhagen 2011, Qandeel Siddique and DIIS Danish Institute for International Studies, DIIS Strandgade 56, DK-1401 Copenhagen, Denmark Ph: +45 32 69 87 87 Fax: +45 32 69 87 00 E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.diis.dk Cover photo: The Khyber Pass linking Pakistan and Afghanistan. © Luca Tettoni/Robert Harding World Imagery/Corbis Layout: Allan Lind Jørgensen Printed in Denmark by Vesterkopi AS ISBN 978-87-7605-455-7 Price: DKK 50.00 (VAT included) DIIS publications can be downloaded free of charge from www.diis.dk Hardcopies can be ordered at www.diis.dk This publication is part of DIIS’s Defence and Security Studies project which is funded by a grant from the Danish Ministry of Defence. Qandeel Siddique, MSc, Research Assistant, DIIS [email protected] 2 DIIS REPORT 2011:08 Contents Abstract 6 1. Introduction 7 2. Pakistan–Afghanistan relations 12 3. Strategic depth and the ISI 18 4. Shift of jihad theatre from Kashmir to Afghanistan 22 5. The role of India 41 6. The role of the United States 52 7. Conclusion 58 Defence and Security Studies at DIIS 70 3 DIIS REPORT 2011:08 Acronyms AJK Azad Jammu and Kashmir ANP Awani National Party FATA Federally Administered Tribal Areas FDI Foreign Direct Investment FI Fidayeen Islam GHQ General Headquarters GoP Government
    [Show full text]
  • Analysis of Pakistan's Policy Towards Afghan Refugees
    • p- ISSN: 2521-2982 • e-ISSN: 2707-4587 URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.31703/gpr.2019(IV-III).04 • ISSN-L: 2521-2982 DOI: 10.31703/gpr.2019(IV-III).04 Muhammad Zubair* Muhammad Aqeel Khan† Muzamil Shah‡ Analysis of Pakistan’s Policy Towards Afghan Refugees: A Legal Perspective This article explores Pakistan’s policy towards Afghan refugees • Vol. IV, No. III (Summer 2019) Abstract since their arrival into Pakistan in 1979. As Pakistan has no • Pages: 28 – 38 refugee related law at national level nor is a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention or its Protocol of 1967; but despite of all these obstacles it has welcomed the refugees from Afghanistan after the Russian aggression. During their Headings stay here in Pakistan, these refugees have faced various problems due to the non- • Introduction existence of the relevant laws and have been treated under the Foreigner’s Act • Pakistan's Policy Towards Refugees of 1946, which did not apply to them. What impact this absence of law has made and Immigrants on the lives of these Afghan refugees? Here various phases of their arrival into • Overview of Afghan Refugees' Pakistan as well as the shift in policies of the government of Pakistan have been Situation in Pakistan also discussed in brief. This article explores all these obstacles along with possible • Conclusion legal remedies. • References Key Words: Influx, Refugees, Registration, SAFRON and UNHCR. Introduction Refugees are generally casualties of human rights violations. What's more, as a general rule, the massive portion of the present refugees are probably going to endure a two-fold violation: the underlying infringement in their state of inception, which will more often than not underlie their flight to another state; and the dissent of a full assurance of their crucial rights and opportunities in the accepting state.
    [Show full text]
  • Afghanistan, Iran, and Pakistan
    February 2002 Vol. 14, No. 2(G) AFGHANISTAN, IRAN, AND PAKISTAN CLOSED DOOR POLICY: Afghan Refugees in Pakistan and Iran “The bombing was so strong and we were so afraid to leave our homes. We were just like little birds in a cage, with all this noise and destruction going on all around us.” Testimony to Human Rights Watch I. MAP OF REFUGEE A ND IDP CAMPS DISCUSSED IN THE REPORT .................................................................................... 3 II. SUMMARY ............................................................................................................................................................................................... 4 III. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................................................................... 4 IV. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ............................................................................................................................ 6 To the Government of Iran:....................................................................................................................................................................... 6 To the Government of Pakistan:............................................................................................................................................................... 7 To UNHCR :...............................................................................................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • SECOND-GENERATION AFGHANS in NEIGHBOURING COUNTRIES from Mohajer to Hamwatan: Afghans Return Home
    From mohajer to hamwatan: Afghans return home Case Study Series SECOND-GENERATION AFGHANS IN NEIGHBOURING COUNTRIES From mohajer to hamwatan: Afghans return home Mamiko Saito Funding for this research was December 2007 provided by the European Commission (EC) and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit i Second-Generation Afghans in Neighbouring Countries © 2007 Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, recording or otherwise without prior written permission of the publisher, the Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit. Permission can be obtained by emailing [email protected] or calling +93 799 608 548. ii Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit From mohajer to hamwatan: Afghans return home About the Author Mamiko Saito is the senior research officer on migration at AREU. She has been work- ing in Afghanistan and Pakistan since 2003, and has worked with Afghan refugees in Quetta and Peshawar. She holds a master’s degree in education and development studies from the University of East Anglia, United Kingdom. About the Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit The Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit (AREU) is an independent research organisation headquartered in Kabul. AREU’s mission is to conduct high-quality research that informs and influences policy and practice. AREU also actively pro- motes a culture of research and learning by strengthening analytical capacity in Afghanistan and facilitating reflection and debate. Fundamental to AREU’s vision is that its work should improve Afghan lives.
    [Show full text]
  • Afghan Refugees in Pakistan During the 1980S: Cold War Politics and Registration Practice
    NEW ISSUES IN REFUGEE RESEARCH Research Paper No. 157 Afghan refugees in Pakistan during the 1980s: Cold War politics and registration practice Rüdiger Schöch E-mail: [email protected] June 2008 Policy Development and Evaluation Service Policy Development and Evaluation Service United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees P.O. Box 2500, 1211 Geneva 2 Switzerland E-mail: [email protected] Web Site: www.unhcr.org These papers provide a means for UNHCR staff, consultants, interns and associates, as well as external researchers, to publish the preliminary results of their research on refugee-related issues. The papers do not represent the official views of UNHCR. They are also available online under ‘publications’ at <www.unhcr.org>. ISSN 1020-747 Introduction The exodus of Afghans from their homeland during the domestic political upheavals in the 1970s and the ensuing occupation by the Soviet Union at Christmas 1979 made history as the largest refugee crisis in the world. Equally, it was the largest operation of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in the 1980s. Sadly, the crisis was not resolved together with the events which had originally caused it. Since the Soviet withdrawal in 1988-89, Afghanistan has remained instable, and new refugee flows have occurred in addition to those Afghans who have not yet been able to return to their country. Today, Afghans still represent the largest group of refugees in the world. Despite the fact that the crisis continues unabatedly, some characteristics of the
    [Show full text]
  • Resetting Pakistan's Relations with Afghanistan
    Resetting Pakistan’s Relations with Afghanistan Asia Report N°262 | 28 October 2014 International Crisis Group Headquarters Avenue Louise 149 1050 Brussels, Belgium Tel: +32 2 502 90 38 Fax: +32 2 502 50 38 [email protected] Table of Contents Executive Summary ................................................................................................................... i I. Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 1 II. Policy Imperatives and Internal Implications ................................................................. 2 A. Pakistan’s Monroe Doctrine and Pashtun proxies .................................................... 2 B. Interventionist Ambitions and Domestic Implications ............................................. 5 C. Civil-Military Relations and Afghan Policy ............................................................... 8 III. Expanding Economic Ties ................................................................................................ 11 A. Opportunities ............................................................................................................. 11 B. Constraints ................................................................................................................. 12 IV. Afghans in Pakistan .......................................................................................................... 18 A. The Refugee Question ...............................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • The Voices Behind the Refugee Outflow from Afghanistan
    Sources of Tension in Afghanistan and Pakistan: A Regional Perspective The Voices behind the Refugee Outflow from Afghanistan Hameed Hakimi and Barin S. Haymon June 2016 CIDOB Policy Research Project CIDOB BARCELONA CENTRE FOR INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS With support from THE VOICES BEHIND THE REFUGEE OUTFLOW FROM AFGHANISTAN Hameed Hakimi* Barin Sultani Haymon** * Hameed Hakimi is a Research Associate at Chatham House in London. For more than three decades, Afghanistan was the number one sour- Previously, he has held researcher roles ce country of the global refugee population. This only changed in late at various institutions including the International Institute for Strategic 2014, as the increasing severity of the Syrian crisis tipped Afghanistan Studies (IISS) and the London School of into second position in terms of gross headcount. Growing insecurity, Economics and Political Science (LSE). ominously demonstrated in Taliban’s recent brief occupation of Kunduz Between 2014 and 2015, Hameed was an International Advisor for policy and province, coupled with the economic hardships facing Afghans as evident capacity development at the Afghan in growing unemployment figures, an increasing number of Afghans are Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kabul. seeking refuge outside their country – especially in Europe. ** Barin Sultani Haymon is an inde- pendent researcher with more than In response, the Afghan Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation recently a decade’s experience in the non- 1 profit sector, working closely with launched a campaign , for instance, to tackle the exodus of Afghan youth several charitable foundations focused – the so-called ‘brain drain’2. The campaign makes use of evocative mes- on Afghanistan.
    [Show full text]
  • Mapping the Structure of Well-Being and Social Networks of Refugees a Case Study of Afghan Refugees in Peshawar, Pakistan
    CENTER ON INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND GOVERNANCE RESEARCH REPORT Mapping the Structure of Well-Being and Social Networks of Refugees A Case Study of Afghan Refugees in Peshawar, Pakistan Ammar A. Malik Edward Mohr Yasemin Irvin-Erickson with Loren B. Landau, Caroline Wanjiku Kihato, and Benjamin Edwards June 2017 ABOUT THE URBAN INSTITUTE The nonprofit Urban Institute is dedicated to elevating the debate on social and economic policy. For nearly five decades, Urban scholars have conducted research and offered evidence-based solutions that improve lives and strengthen communities across a rapidly urbanizing world. Their objective research helps expand opportunities for all, reduce hardship among the most vulnerable, and strengthen the effectiveness of the public sector. Copyright © June 2017. Urban Institute. Permission is granted for reproduction of this file, with attribution to the Urban Institute. Contents Acknowledgments iv Executive Summary v Mapping the Structure of Well-Being and Social Networks of Refugees: Peshawar Case Study 1 From Origins of Displacement to Recent Repatriations 1 What Explains the Recent Upsurge in Repatriations? 2 The Peshawar Refugees Survey 5 Survey Methodology 5 Demographic Profile of Surveyed Population 6 Economic Well-Being and Resilience 8 The Role of Social Networks in Well-Being 11 Discussion and Policy Implications 14 Notes 17 About the Authors 18 Statement of Independence 19 Acknowledgments This case study was funded by U.S. Department of State Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration. The opinions, findings, and conclusions stated herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the United States Department of State. We are grateful to them and to all our funders, who make it possible for Urban to advance its mission.
    [Show full text]
  • Where Will Fleeing Afghans Go?
    POLICY BRIEF 08.26.21 Where Will Fleeing Afghans Go? Kelsey Norman, Ph.D., Fellow and Director, Women’s Rights, Human Rights, and Refugees Program, Baker Institute We are in the midst of one of the largest tens of thousands of Afghans fled each week and most rapid humanitarian evacuation on foot to neighboring countries,4 following missions in U.S. history. On August 15, 2021, previous patterns of Afghan displacement. the Taliban reclaimed the Afghan capital Historically, after the 1979 Soviet invasion, city of Kabul, and the priority of both the 1.5 million Afghans fled to neighboring U.S. and NATO became securing the Kabul Pakistan and Iran, and by1986 nearly airport in order to evacuate individuals out five million Afghans refugees were living of the country. By August 25, the White between the two countries.5 Some Afghans House claimed that the U.S. had facilitated eventually repatriated, but after the U.S. the evacuation—in collaboration with invasion of Afghanistan, a new generation coalition forces, international organizations, of Afghans fled to the two neighboring and private donors—of approximately states. As a result of these cumulative 80,000 people from Kabul airport since displacements, by the end of 2020, nearly August 14, although it is not clear how 1.5 million Afghans were living in Pakistan, many of those individuals were American while Iran hosted 780,000.6 versus Afghan citizens.1 Currently, the Taliban control all On August 24, a Taliban spokesperson the main land crossing points with said the road to Kabul airport was closed to Afghanistan's neighbors and have said Afghan nationals.
    [Show full text]
  • “What Are You Doing Here?” Police Abuses Against Afghans in Pakistan WATCH
    HUMAN RIGHTS “What Are You Doing Here?” Police Abuses Against Afghans in Pakistan WATCH “What Are You Doing Here?” Police Abuses against Afghans in Pakistan Copyright © 2015 Human Rights Watch All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America ISBN: 978-1-6231-32989 Cover design by Rafael Jimenez Human Rights Watch defends the rights of people worldwide. We scrupulously investigate abuses, expose the facts widely, and pressure those with power to respect rights and secure justice. Human Rights Watch is an independent, international organization that works as part of a vibrant movement to uphold human dignity and advance the cause of human rights for all. Human Rights Watch is an international organization with staff in more than 40 countries, and offices in Amsterdam, Beirut, Berlin, Brussels, Chicago, Geneva, Goma, Johannesburg, London, Los Angeles, Moscow, Nairobi, New York, Paris, San Francisco, Sydney, Tokyo, Toronto, Tunis, Washington DC, and Zurich. For more information, please visit our website: http://www.hrw.org NOVEMBER 2015 978-1-6231-32989 “What Are You Doing Here?” Police Abuses against Afghans in Pakistan Map …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..i Summary ......................................................................................................................... 1 Key Recommendations ............................................................................................................. 3 Methodology, Scope, and Terminology ...........................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Download the Full Report
    HUMAN RIGHTS “What Are You Doing Here?” Police Abuses Against Afghans in Pakistan WATCH “What Are You Doing Here?” Police Abuses against Afghans in Pakistan Copyright © 2015 Human Rights Watch All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America ISBN: 978-1-6231-32989 Cover design by Rafael Jimenez Human Rights Watch defends the rights of people worldwide. We scrupulously investigate abuses, expose the facts widely, and pressure those with power to respect rights and secure justice. Human Rights Watch is an independent, international organization that works as part of a vibrant movement to uphold human dignity and advance the cause of human rights for all. Human Rights Watch is an international organization with staff in more than 40 countries, and offices in Amsterdam, Beirut, Berlin, Brussels, Chicago, Geneva, Goma, Johannesburg, London, Los Angeles, Moscow, Nairobi, New York, Paris, San Francisco, Sydney, Tokyo, Toronto, Tunis, Washington DC, and Zurich. For more information, please visit our website: http://www.hrw.org NOVEMBER 2015 978-1-6231-32989 “What Are You Doing Here?” Police Abuses against Afghans in Pakistan Map …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..i Summary ......................................................................................................................... 1 Key Recommendations ............................................................................................................. 3 Methodology, Scope, and Terminology ...........................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Afghans in Pakistan Need More Mobility and Durable Solutions to Stay
    practice note no. 7 • 08/2021 Now more than ever: Afghans in Pakistan need more mobility and durable solutions to stay The Taliban’s recent seizure of Kabul and overall control of the Decreasing mobility at the place of country has once again led many Afghans to flee their country. displacement With more than 2.67 million Afghans registered as refugees worldwide (as of 2020), and possibly more to come, Afghans Deliberate policies by the government of Pakistan restrict the are the second-largest refugee population after Syrians. Their transnational and translocal movement of Afghans to/in Pakistan displacement began more than 40 years ago, many of whom and hence contribute to protracted displacement. According to have taken refuge in Pakistan, which has 1.4 million Afghans a survey by TRAFIG researchers, 57 per cent of Afghans face registered with UNHCR as refugees (UNHCR, 2020) and more mobility restrictions within the country, mainly due to their than 800,000 registered with the government of Pakistan. Close registration status. Police harassment is widespread and occurs to one million Afghans remain undocumented in Pakistan. in the form of extortion or corruption at police checkpoints in the city and at traffic junctions; respondents reported violence and Over the past few months, Pakistani authorities beatings in custody or when stopped and taken announced repeatedly that they will not allow out of a bus for searching; unannounced search new Afghan refugees to enter their country. In- ‘without pathways to settle down operations in Afghans’ premises and shops; stead, Pakistan is promoting the establishment legally in Pakistan, transnational abusive language, and, in general, awareness of secure areas by the international community mobility alone is not a way out of of the omnipresent “possibility that the police inside Afghanistan for all those seeking refuge.
    [Show full text]