REFUGEES the world over have always posed a dilemma for the host country. They have to be provided sanctuary on humanitarian grounds. But they are also seen as a burden on the economy of the land that takes them in. And when they overstay their welcome, they pose political and social problems as well. It is, however, considered inhuman to turn back hapless victims of manmade/natural catastrophes who have been forced to flee their homes. That is the case with the Afghan refugees in Pakistan. Of late, they have begun to draw fire from different quarters because of the security risk some of them pose and the economic and social implications of their presence in the midst of Pakistanis.

A legacy of the Afghan war of 1979-89 when Soviet troops occupied Afghanistan, the refugees sought shelter in neighbouring countries. Pakistan was the most popular destination, given the easy territorial access it provided and the ethnic and linguistic affinities the Afghans share with a section of the local population. Although most refugees (their numbers at one time swelled to nearly five million) have returned home, two million or so still remain. Under the last agreement concluded between the UNHCR (the UN refugee agency) and Pakistan, Afghan refugees were to go home by 2009. Islamabad has now agreed to extend the deadline by another four years. The significant feature of this accord is that the UNHCR has offered aid for the development of the regions where the refugees are concentrated. Indicative of its recognition of the negative impact the presence of refugees has on poor and underdeveloped societies, the UN agency has introduced the $140m Refugee Affected and Hosting Areas (Raha) programme that is designed to benefit Afghans and Pakistanis alike.

Until now, the UNHCR’s strategy had been to focus on the displaced persons by providing them with shelter, education, healthcare, nutrition and even training in skills to facilitate their economic rehabilitation when they returned to Afghanistan. Raha directs attention towards development projects in 21 districts of Pakistan, mostly in Balochistan and the NWFP which together have hosted most of the Afghan refugees in the country. This should help promote social cohesion as well as minimise the adverse effects of the refugee presence in any area. In any case, it offers the most feasible approach to the problem since refugees cannot be held responsible for their sorry circumstances. Neither can they be forced to return to a country that many among the younger lot are not familiar with and which continues to be a theatre of war. In a situation fraught with such dilemmas, much depends on the strategies adopted. However, one does wonder how far $140m in five years will take us.