ISLAMABAD: Somali refugees, living in Pakistan for the last 21 years, have sought resettlement in some other country as they find themselves in deep humanitarian crisis here.

On Tuesday, around 70 people protested outside the National Press Club. One of the protesters, Ahmed Mukhtar, told Dawn that the civil war in their country some 20 years ago had forced them to shift from Somalia to Kenya and then to Pakistan.

“We have been living here for over two decades but we are not getting facilities admissible under the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) rules. Afghans can work and do business without permission but Somali refugees cannot get work permission without Nadra card,” he said.

“Due to security issues Somali refugees cannot live outside major cities such as Islamabad, Karachi and Lahore, nor can they get higher education,” he said.

“United Nations, United States, Canada, Australia and European Union should take notice and initiate steps for resettlement of the people,” he said.

Another refugee, Ahmed Farah Idle, said each year World Refugee Day is observed on June 20, so they plan to hold protests till June 20.

Published in Dawn, June 10th, 2015

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