According to The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), A refugee is someone who has been forced to flee his or her country because of persecution, war or violence.
The legal definition of the term refugee was set out in the 1951 UN Convention on the Status of Refugees. International refugee law and standards are ensuring the rights of refugees under following instruments,
- US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants
- United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
- 1951 Convention relating to the status of refugees
(Pakistan is not a party to 1951 Convention relating to status of refugees/1967 Protocol)
The first wave of Afghan refugees to Pakistan began during the Soviet–Afghan War in the late 1970s and in 2001 there were over 4 million Afghan refugees in Pakistan among them some have returned to Afghanistan since 2002. Upon arriving to Pakistan, they settled in areas where there was little to no development. They independently built their homes and villages, trying to continue living a normal life. Afghan refugees provided cheap labor and started playing an instrumental role in the development of Pakistan but in return no legal rights of labor were given to them from the Pakistan’s government.
Majority of the Afghan refugees are here for more than 35 years and they do not want to go back claiming they don’t have any kind of assets , property and social protection in Afghanistan. So Pakistan is under restriction (by UNHCR) regarding forceful repatriation of refugees.These Afghan refugees in Pakistan are not allowed to cast their votes in the parliamentary elections of either Afghanistan or Pakistan . This research will focus on the impacts caused by refugees whether fruitful or evil for Pakistan’s security and politics? and what further steps to take to ensure social and political security of people in Pakistan. This research also examines the impact on Pakistan internal security by giving these refugees citizenship, and what is the impact of successful repatriation on refugees and Pakistan’s internal security and politics?
References:
Sobia Nisar, ed. (October 13, 2001). Afghan Refugees Influx into Pakistan. Media Monitor Network. Retrieved June 3, 2012.
Sohail Khattak, ed. (August 15, 2011). Independence Day: We are Pakistanis now, say Afghans. The Express Tribune. Retrieved March 23, 2012.