Pakistan extends registered Afghan refugees’ stay
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s Cabinet Friday approved extending proof of registration cards for Afghan refugees that expired April 1 to June 30, according to an official statement.
The document allows Afghan refugees to have access to health, educational, and banking facilities.
United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) welcomed Pakistan’s decision but said refugees should be given a longer extension to lessen the uncertainty they face.
“We welcome the extension, but also hope that after June, they [POR cards] can be extended for longer than three months to give more certainty to Afghan refugees,” said Philippa Candler, the refugee agency’s Pakistan representative in written comments to VOA.
According to the statement issued by the Ministry of Information, expulsion of documented refugees will come at later.
“The POR cardholders will be sent back in the third stage of the program to expel foreigners residing illegally in Pakistan,” the statement said.