The past three decades of war could bring nothing but miseries of homelessness, social insecurity and eternal state of desperation, to Afghan refugees who have been staying in various countries, ranging from Eastern to Western, for over decades. The later owing rational laws under the realm of liberal democracy provided the refugees with basic life sustaining necessities and great deal liberty. Nevertheless, the former being either Islamic democracy (Pakistan) or theocratic states (Iran) hardly provided a certain degree of liberty and facility.
Pakistan has been a hospitable country, hosting scores of legal and illegal immigrants. According to the UNHCR, 1.6 million Afghan refugees have been recorded in Pakistan where most of them are living in Peshawar and other cities of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Around five million illegal immigrants have been residing in different cities of Pakistan for more than three decades. To complement the UNHCR’s efforts and those of other international partners, the government has extended the validity of Afghan refugees’ Proof of Registration (PoR) cards until the end of 2015, issued birth certificates for 800,000 Afghan refugee children, provided land for several refugee villages, and given refugees access to public schools and health clinics.
Apparently, the refugees in Pakistan enjoy certain degree of freedom and right to access to basic amenities of life. Nonetheless, there are multiple complications hindering on the way to their easy going lives ranging from insecurity, health and education. Pakistan is a developing country with a huge population; most frequently the basic facility of health and education can hardly suffice the growing needs of its indigenous citizens. The host country despite being rewarded with funds from corresponding donor agencies, already grappled with variant predicament, could do little to turn the fate of wretched refugees. However, the refugees inhabiting urban localities enjoy a noticeable share of studying in public schools and seek access to basic health units. The nuance cultural variation let it feasible to refugees easily socializes in Pakistani society with some having homogenized via marital bonds. Significantly, most of the people residing on the two sides of border shared similar ethno-lingual, and cultural practices. Such, all provisions consolidate the case of patriation of small fraction of refugees which inflict great loss for Afghanistan in term of human resource.
In the wake of growing terrorists attacks particularly, the former Peshawar tragic incidence, the government planned to tighten the security net. Moreover, the provincial government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa concluded the terrorist attack on an army school in Peshawar had been planned in Afghanistan and ordered the Afghan refugees should leave the state in a month. Subsequently, regular raids were made to search out a credible clue to the perpetrator with Afghan refugees held as the prime suspects and were subjected to frequent maltreatment and harassment.
Allegations of mistreatment and abuse of refugees at the hands of the police continue to emerge ever since Peshawar Incidence. The adoptive measures that involve picking on easy targets, such as economically poor refugees who may have little or no means of protection, can never find a coherent justification. The United Nations Higher Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Pakistan has informed the government about the refugees having legal immigration documents can stay until the end of 2015, given they have the right to live legally in the country based on the legal document. The UNHCR spokesperson stated the federal government obliged to repatriate Afghan refugees to their homeland based on their willingness. Despite, such assurances, arbitrary raids and deportations by the K-P government have started. What is most disturbing; however, are allegations of mistreatment of Afghan minors by the police, specifically of seminary students. Picking up underage students and subjecting them to abuse will not result in any solutions.
Formerly, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Afghanistan showed grave concern over thousands of Afghan families fleeing Pakistan to escape harassment after a deadly Taliban attack in Peshawar. In a statement posted on its website, Richard Danzinger, the IOM's mission chief in Afghanistan, said more than 22,000 undocumented Afghans flocked across the border at Torkham in January, more than twice the figure for the whole of 2014.
Pakistan hosting the largest refugee population; the generosity shown so far is to be appreciated but the moral values can’t allow or give authority the right to snatch away human dignity exercising an act of abuse against some of the weakest members of society. The government of Afghanistan has to take this very concern of refugees into account. This isn’t the only country where afghan refugees face case of maltreatment.
Iran is another such of country hosting large number of Afghanis witnessing rampant harassment and maltreatment. Iran of course renders great humanitarian service by allowing Afghans seek refuge in this land. Nevertheless the mass violation of human rights must be deemed inhuman if not immoral. Reportedly Afghanis are suffering ill-treatment in the said country. Many are on death row on flawed accusation of criminal activities. Previously, numerous such cases were surfaced with or without concern of government. The issues might have been negligibly raised on diplomatic level. Conversely the afghan government with exception of receiving corps has done nothing satisfactory.
It high time government has to find out and work out the underlying reason behind miseries that force them leave abroad and how that should be discouraged. The persistent state of insecurity, unemployment is playing eminent role forcing Afghanis move foreign countries in the search for better livelihood.
Conversely, Afghanistan has done a little, making congenial grounds to provide every necessity of life to returning refugees. In the past two terms, the democratic government, succeeded to earn the fame of bad governance, corruption and irregularities. It could rarely streamline the socio-political and financial matters of the state. The incumbent government has to take serious measures, reversing the ill deeds of ex-government whilst striving hard to get this piece of land rid of calamities of terrorism, extremism, corruption, illiteracy and poverty, making it amenable to live in, from multi-viewpoint.