ROLE OF THE UNHCR IN REPATRIATION OF AFGHAN REFUGEES FROM PAKISTAN: POST 9/11 ERA

Abstract

The post 9/11-armed conflict in Afghanistan resulted in the displacement of millions of Afghans and many of these displaced persons entered Pakistan as refugees. Moreover, the involvement of Pakistan in the conflict as an ally to NATO claimed Pakistan an internal armed conflict that displaced waves and waves of internal displacements. Repatriation is considered as a durable solution of the refugee problem. It is the responsibility of the host state to plan for safe and voluntary return of refugees and the UNHCR plays a supportive role in complying with this responsibility. However, the principles of safety, voluntariness and dignity are preserved during repatriation. To comply with the legal framework for refugees regarding repatriation, Pakistan had been struggling a lot in the context of the ongoing armed conflict in both Afghanistan and Pakistan. UNHCR has been helping and assisting the government of Pakistan in planning and executing the safe and voluntary Afghan refugees. This cooperation between the UNHCR and Pakistan has remained effective in achieving the goal of repatriation of Afghan Refugees in the context of ongoing conflicts in both Afghanistan and Pakistan in the context of difficult circumstances This paper discusses the repatriation of the Afghan refugees from Pakistan, engineered by the UNHCR and Pakistan, under the legal framework applicable for safe and voluntary return of refugees, amid waves of repeated displacements due to the ongoing conflicts in Afghanistan and Pakistan.