Pakistan
For more than 40 years, Pakistan has a long and commendable tradition of providing protection for refugees and asylum seekers.
How to help Pakistan
Pakistan is the fifth largest refugee–hosting country, providing safety to some 1.38 million registered refugees and asylum seekers who were forced to flee their countries.
Political instability in Pakistan has been compounded by an economic crisis marked by soaring inflation and costs, sluggish economic growth and high unemployment. The threat of food insecurity and a potential public health crisis due to climate-induced extreme weather also has a disproportionate impact on the most vulnerable Pakistanis. A deteriorating security situation is another challenge, with attacks on military and police forces expected to continue.
UNHCR supports efforts undertaken by the Government of Pakistan to provide protection and assistance to refugees and asylum seekers, while strengthening cohesion in host communities.
What is Pakistan's role as a refugee hosting country?
There are 1.52 million registered refugees and asylum seekers in Pakistan. 1.36 million refugees and asylum seekers in the country are Afghans. There is also a small number of non-Afghan refugees and asylum-seekers from other countries such as Myanmar, Yemen, Somalia and Syria.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is the largest refugee-hosting province, followed by Balochistan and Punjab.
What is the "Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan"? What impacts has it had so far?
On 3rd October 2023, Pakistan’s national Apex Committee endorsed a plan to repatriate over a million foreigners without valid documents, largely Afghans, requiring them to leave the country by 01 November.
Since 15 September, some 650,000 Afghans have returned to Afghanistan. Most of this movement took place during the month of November. UNHCR has assisted some 100,100 individuals, including over 60,700 Proof of Registration (PoR) cardholders,
In Afghanistan, UNHCR continued to biometrically process and provide cash assistance to PoR card holders and their nuclear family members, UNHCR slip holders, asylum seeker certificate holders and other Protection referrals. Since 15 September, some 100,100 individuals returning from Pakistan have been provided with cash assistance in Kabul, Kandahar and Jalalabad encashment centres.
The second half of June 2024 saw an overall reported rate of arrest and detention decrease by approximately 15 per cent, compared to the first two weeks of the month.
How is the climate crisis impacting Pakistan?
Torrential rains and flooding affected 33 million people, including Afghan refugees, in Pakistan in 2022. Pakistan has suffered regular flooding in the past but flooding in 2022 was on a different scale. The monsoon floods of 2022 have killed over 1,100 people and left 6.4 million people in need of shelter as well as food and other essentials.
With Pakistan on the frontline of the climate emergency and vulnerable to flooding and droughts, including in refugee hosting areas, emergency and recovery responses will incorporate prevention and preparedness measures to avert and minimise the effects of extreme weather.
How long has UNHCR been in Pakistan?
Forty years ago, UNHCR and the Government of Pakistan signed an agreement to provide humanitarian assistance and protection to millions of refugees fleeing war in Afghanistan.
The first 25 years of UNHCR’s presence in Pakistan were dedicated to the protection of Afghan refugees. The organisation built refugee camps, assisted new arrivals, documented, registered and protected individuals.
UNHCR was quick to take action when a devastating earthquake hit northern Pakistan in October 2005. Its emergency relief efforts then, and again in response to historic flooding in 2010, 2011 (and 2022), assisted millions of families who had lost their homes and their livelihoods.
What is UNHCR doing to support forcibly displaced people in Pakistan?
UNHCR continues to advocate for a better access by refugees and asylum seekers to basic rights in the country while enhancing self-reliance among refugees and their host communities for sustainable solutions.
UNHCR significantly scaled up the protection programme in response to the announcement of the Government of Pakistan’s “Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan”, supporting on registration, legal assistance, child protection, gender-based violence and community-based protection initiatives.
UNHCR also focuses on durable solutions, livelihoods and economic inclusion programmes, education, health and WASH initiatives and access to energy.