The government of Pakistan announced a two-month extension for Afghan migrants holding Proof of Registration (PoR) cards, now valid until June 30 of this year.
According to Pakistani media, this decision was made by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif during a cabinet meeting.
It is arranged that migrants holding PoR cards will be deported in the third phase of deporting illegal migrants from Pakistan.
Pakistani journalist Taher Khan said: “The cabinet announcement, which was published after the meeting, extended the cards for registered Afghans, and the plan for their deportation has not yet specified any particular date.”
Juma Khan Poya, a migrant rights activist, stated: “Pakistan’s decision to extend the stay of PoR cardholders for two months is a humanitarian act.”
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation has reported that since the start of the second phase of deporting Afghan migrants from Pakistan, over 8,000 Afghan migrants have returned to the country.
The deputy minister, Abdul Rahman Rashid said: “In just 15 or 16 days, 8,000 Afghan migrants have come from Pakistan.”
Despite being pleased with the recent actions of the Pakistani government, a number of Afghan migrants in Pakistan say that their challenges in the country are increasing with each passing day.
They call for a further extension of their stay in Pakistan.
Mohammad Anwar Panahi, an Afghan migrant in Pakistan, said: “Unfortunately, in Pakistan, the employment situation is dire, and the cost of housing and shelter, especially in migrant-dominated areas, is exorbitant.”
The European Union has announced the signing of a 17 million euro aid contract with the International Organization for Migration to address the challenges of returning migrants in Afghanistan.