New arrangements for Afghan refugees under discussion

Speakers at a conference in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, on Tuesday called for realistic policies to regulate Afghan population movements in Pakistan, citing migration as not only a reaction to war and insecurity but also a key livelihood strategy. The day-long meeting was arranged by an independent Kabul-based think-tank, the Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit (AREU), to explore and discuss the potential responses to Afghan migrants in Iran and Pakistan. In recent years, the reluctance of many of the more than 4 million Afghans currently living in Iran and Pakistan to return has called the existing policies into question, according to social scientists. "The protracted nature of Afghans' displacement and the multiple reasons for their flight, including periods of conflict and drought and economic pressures, have made it increasingly difficult for host countries and humanitarian assistance programmes to find solutions to this ongoing situation within the refugee framework," Haris Gardaz, a researcher at the Karachi-based Collective for Social Science Research (CSSR), said. Better social support structures in Pakistan and Iran are key factors in keeping Afghans from going home. "Despite some variation in quality and affordability, Afghans are able to access health and education services here that are unavailable in their home country, which is one of the main concerns, particularly for women," Gardaz noted. With lack of legal status, Afghans do not have access to formal employment, which is a major barrier to their economic security and upward mobility, the CSSR said in its study. Another factor in the debate is that younger Afghans living in Iran and Pakistan are more likely to want to stay. Presenting the findings of an Afghan study from Iran, Professor Jalal Abbasi from the University of Tehran noted: "The concerns of young people about repatriation differ substantially from those of their parents since a fairly large majority of Afghans in Iran are young.” Likewise, many young urbanised Afghans may not have the skills to return to the traditional economic activities of their parents' generation. "Many of those born and brought up in the cities in Pakistan are much more likely to aspire to formal-sector employment," Gardaz noted. According to estimates from the 2005 Afghan census, over 55 percent of Afghan nationals residing in Pakistan are under the age of 18. "By virtue of their numbers alone, this section [of Afghans] must be heard by those involved in finding effective ways of managing Afghans," said an AREU briefing paper entitled, 'Afghans in Pakistan: Broadening the focus', released at the meeting. Wrapping up the discussion, Paul Fishstein, director of AREU, stressed: "We need to recognise the diverse needs of displaced Afghans - migrant labourers, second generation youth and vulnerable refugees."