ISLAMABAD: Voluntary return of Afghan refugees to their country in safety and dignity will be preferred by Pakistan, Minister for States and Frontier Regions Senator Mohammad Talha Mahmood said on Monday.

According to the government, Pakistan currently hosts 1.3 million registered refugees, with around 250,000 people having arrived from Afghanistan since August 2001.

Mr Mahmood said this during a ceremony held in connection with World Refugee Day. The day is observed to honour refugees around the globe. It falls each year on June 20 and celebrates the strength and courage of people who have been forced to flee their home country to escape conflict or persecution.

The theme of the day this year is ‘Whoever. Wherever. Whenever. Everyone has the Right to Seek Safety’. Representatives of the government, international community and partners as well as refugees attended the ceremony.

Draws world attention towards financial challenges in keeping over 3m Afghans

The United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) thanked Pakistan for hosting Afghan refugees despite facing challenges of its own.

Mr Mahmood drew the attention of the international community towards the financial challenges that had resulted from keeping more than three million Afghans in the country.

The international community must come forward to play its role to share these burdens with Pakistan in line with the Global Compact on Refugees, the minister said.

Meanwhile, in a message on the occasion of World Refugee Day, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said more should be done for refugees everywhere and for the countries that host them.

Across the world, refugees have brought new life, prosperity and rich cultural diversity to their host communities, he said, adding that, “they must not face discrimination on borders or be unfairly denied refugee status or asylum due to their race, religion, gender or country of origin”.

Financial challenges of Pakistan in hosting more than 3 million Afghans, including 1.3 million refugees, requires sustainable, dedicated and generous support of the international community, the minister added.

UNHCR Representative in Pakistan Noriko Yoshida said amid its own challenges, Pakistan had remained a steadfast host of those in need of international protection.

“This is also a day when we thank those who have welcomed newcomers into their communities. Pakistan has been a generous host to millions of refugees for more than 40 years,” she said.

The international community must mobilise more support for assistance of refugees and their host communities in this country, the representative said.

According to the UN, the world is witnessing the highest levels of displacement on record. An unprecedented 70.8 million people around the world were forced away from home by conflict and persecution at the end of 2018. Among them are nearly 30 million refugees, over half of whom are under the age of 18. There are also millions of stateless people, who have been denied a nationality and access to basic rights such as education, healthcare, employment and freedom of movement.

Numerous events related to World Refugee Day were held in Peshawar, Quetta and other cities.

Published in Dawn, June 21st, 2022