KABUL (TOLONews): The Ministry of Refugees and Repatriations said that in a joint meeting with the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), discussions were held regarding the construction of four residential towns for returning refugees in four provinces.
According to the ministry’s statement, the meeting was held to assess and plan the construction of these special residential towns for refugees.
Farhana Faruqi-Stocker, senior protection and solutions officer at UNAMA, said in the meeting: “Our main goal is to assist those in need, and to achieve this goal more effectively, technical meetings must be held regularly with the Ministry of Refugees.”
The meeting was chaired by Shukrullah Shakir, an official from the Ministry of Refugees.
Meanwhile, Sardar Ahmad Shakeeb, acting ambassador of Afghanistan in Pakistan, pledged efforts to address the challenges of Afghan refugees in Pakistan, stating: “We have raised these issues with the Pakistani government to resolve the refugees’ problems, prevent their situation from being politicized, and ensure they live peacefully and with dignity here.”
“Organizations supporting refugees must pay special attention to the situation of Afghan refugees in Pakistan and use diplomatic pressure through multiple reports on their conditions to support them,” Nazar Nazari, an advocate for refugee rights.
However, many Afghan refugees in Pakistan have complained about mistreatment and forced detentions.
“Arrests and mistreatment of Afghan refugees in Rawalpindi and Islamabad continue. Unfortunately, the Afghan Embassy has not yet been able to reach an agreement with the Pakistani government,” said Atiqullah Mansoor, an Afghan refugee in Pakistan.
Mirwais Khawarin, another Afghan refugee in Pakistan, added: “Afghan refugees, especially women, children, the elderly, and the sick, have been severely harassed. Many have been detained for three days at a place called Haji Camp and then deported.”
This comes as previously several Afghan refugees in Pakistan had complained about the short duration of visas and the high costs of renewing them. They said they are now forced to renew their visas every month, which has put a lot of pressure on them.
