The holding centres often lack necessities like water and sanitation, and the people held there are lucky if they even receive two meals a day, as food stocks are often too low to supply enough meals. The need for blankets and winter kits is increasing.
As thousands of Afghans are loaded onto trucks for forced return, the crisis reflects not just the failure of diplomacy but also the erosion of trust between two interdependent nations. Unless talks resume on a more equal footing, analysts warn, South Asia may face yet another cycle of displacement, resentment and instability.
Of Islamabad's approximately 41,520 registered Afghan citizens, many retain memories of earlier refuge. Before 2006, some 25,000 had lived in a refugee camp within the Islamabad Capital Territory.
The global human rights watchdog said that Afghanistan now faces one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, exacerbated by donor governments’ aid cuts and the return of 1.9 million refugees expelled from Iran and Pakistan.
The situation is especially dire for Afghan migrants in Pakistan, where visa renewals have been suspended, and Proof of Registration (PoR) cards invalidated without clear guidance. Migrants are reporting increased police harassment and arbitrary detentions.
More than one million Afghan refugees in Pakistan are facing a critical moment as their Proof of Registration (PoR) cards expired on end-June this year.
As South Asia grapples with climate vulnerabilities, economic disparities, and historical animosities, initiatives like COVA’s video competition offer a beacon of hope.
As South Asia grapples with climate vulnerabilities, economic disparities, and historical animosities, initiatives like COVA’s video competition offer a beacon of hope.