Nuzrat.
Hosting 1,435,445 registered Afghan refugees, Pakistan is the third-largest refugee-hosting country in the world. According to practitioners, about 1 million unregistered Afghan refugees are resid in urban and rural areas of Pakistan. In the beginning, the government of Pakistan warmly received the refugees and allowed them to work, gave them the opportunity of employment and to live.
Now, again with the fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban, the government will see more refugee movements towards Pakistan. The refugees who entered Pakistan in the past decades are blamed for an increase in terrorism and crime rate in the country. Therefore, the new refugees will now receive a cold welcome. At that time initially, Pakistan got international support by financing and supply of food for refugees but, in the mid, the International community stopped providing assistance, which created hurdles for the government of Pakistan to manage even the basic needs of the refugees.
Being a developing country and holding its huge population it is difficult for the government of Pakistan to provide basic facilities for the refugees. The unemployment rate is increasing, inflation is at its peak, and having an unstable economy the government cannot warmly welcome the new refugees.
The government hardly manages the employment, food, education, and all basic needs of native people, how it will manage the extra burden for the economy as well?
Taking into account the current situation in Afghanistan, there will be a huge flow of refugees to the neighboring countries including Pakistan. It is heard that most of the refugees entered using different routes into Pakistan illegally. It will be a big challenge for the government to provide accommodation for new refugees. In current circumstances, a crowd of refugees entering Pakistan, and this number increases day today. Most of the refugees’ are using the border at Baluchistan as an entrance into Pakistan.
The government has taken a harsh stance by stating that the new refugees must be constrained in border camps. The presence of new refugees may have negative implications for the Afghans residing in Pakistan. Moreover, it is also argued that the rise of the Taliban will increase the crime rate and terrorism within Pakistan as well. Furthermore, Pakistan has refused to further open the borders for Afghan refugees.
The international community must provide funds and support Pakistan financially to handle the existing and new Afghan refugees. The UNHCR must ensure the provision of food and livelihood for the refugees to their basic needs. Without international community support or push it is difficult for the government of Pakistan to look after the refugees fulfilling their needs. The economy and prosperity of the country will be lost but, the Afghan refugees will also face regional instability, lack of peace, and loss for a better future.