Latest news with #ProofofRegistration
Express Tribune
3 days ago
- Business
- Express Tribune
Afghan refugees risk billions in losses
Afghan refugees arrive from Pakistan at the border in Spin Boldak district of Kandahar province on December 3, 2023. PHOTO: AFP Listen to article As the status of over one million Afghan citizens holding Proof of Registration (PoR) cards hangs in the balance after expiry of their stay limit last month, the refugees are worried about economic losses due to possible disposal of their assets in haste that they built in the past five decades. Although there is slow implementation of the Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan, the refugees are concerned that they may be forced to sell their valuable assets at throwaway prices in case the validity of their cards is not extended further. Due to security and economic considerations, the Pakistani authorities decided to repatriate all illegal foreign immigrants in November 2023. Pakistan has so far repatriated approximately 1.3 million Afghans and still there are about 1.6 million staying back, according to the data compiled by a United Nations entity. These include over one million refugees who have PoR cards but these documents expired on June 30, 2025. The government is considering two options, either giving a temporary extension or offering these PoR card holders a long-term visa, according to officials dealing with the subject. So far, no decision has been taken to extend the PoR cards but the government is working on a new visa policy for foreigners, said Chaudhry Talal, the Minister of State for Interior, while talking to The Express Tribune. The matter to give an extension had also been discussed in the federal cabinet but no decision was taken. Talal said that the new visa policy would offer incentives for foreign investment in Pakistan and the Afghan citizens can also take advantage of that. Beyond Boundaries, an initiative of the Centre for Research and Security Studies, has been working for the resolution of the Afghan refugees' issue. It is advocating a permanent solution to the problem so that the refugees who came to Pakistan after 1979 are not forced to sell their assets at discounted prices and these people can also positively contribute to the local economy. Only Dostokhail tribe people are holding approximately Rs52 billion in assets in Peshawar in the shape of movable and immovable properties in others' names, said Ahmad Shah, a trader from the tribe. Affluent Afghans should not be deported, as it is mutually beneficial for them as well as for Pakistan, said Ahmad Shah. Shah claimed that they are not allowed to own assets and cannot open bank accounts. But the central bank authorities said that thousands of PoR card holders were having bank accounts. Shah said that his tribe also contributed over Rs14 billion or $51 million in foreign remittances last year. These remittances are sent by the tribe members working in Europe, Canada, and the United States, he added. "Our family does not have any criminal record, and we are traders doing business in black tea, tyres, and batteries," said Ahmad Shah. "My children are born in Pakistan and they do not want to go back to Afghanistan," said Shah, who is worried about selling off his benami assets at throwaway prices if the government finally decides to repatriate all Afghan refugees. "We are traders because we do not have permanent residence status and cannot legally invest in Pakistan," said Mohammad Bakhtiar, another member from the Dostokhail tribe. However, for Pakistani authorities, $51 million in remittances is not much compared to the cost that they believe the Pakistani economy was paying due to the presence of Afghan refugees. The cost is in the shape of the role of Afghan refugees in illegal trade of currency and smuggling of goods under the Afghan Transit Trade Agreement. In the last fiscal year, Pakistan received a record $38.2 billion in foreign remittances that helped post a current account surplus of $2.1 billion. But there are questions on the sustainability of these remittances due to the federal government's decision to freeze subsidies for remittances. It has also reduced the benefits on foreign remittances, but a decision remains pending on who would foot the bill. Building foreign exchange reserves is the responsibility of the central bank, thus, it should be funding the scheme, Finance Secretary Imdadullah Bosal told the National Assembly Standing Committee on Finance this week. Bosal said that the federal government did not have funds to continue the Pakistan Remittances Initiative scheme. The secretary said that the finance ministry was working with the central bank to find a solution, as no money is kept in the new budget. "As against Rs89 billion budgeted allocation in the last fiscal year, the finance ministry received nearly Rs200 billion claims from the central bank ... that is quite a substantial chunk," said Bosal. He said one of the options was for the central bank to deduct the cost upfront from the profits it transfers to the federal government. However, the challenge is that it would still be treated as part of the primary expenses. After multiple rounds of background discussions, Beyond Boundaries has recommended streamlining visa processes for traders of Afghan origin and granting them residency, enabling them to invest in Pakistan.
Business Recorder
3 days ago
- Politics
- Business Recorder
PoR card holders: Govt decides not to extend stay of Afghan refugees: interior minister
ISLAMABAD: The federal government has decided not to extend the stay of Afghan refugees holding Proof of Registration (PoR) cards, said Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Saturday. In an informal conversation with journalists, he said that strict action would be taken against Afghan nationals residing in the country illegally. Those who were deported from Pakistan would be blacklisted to prevent their re-entry into the country again, he said. Naqvi further said that Iran deported over 300,000 Afghan refugees within just 10 days. Pakistan is now undertaking effective measures along similar lines, he said. Undocumented Afghan DPs: deportation deadline extended While acknowledging Afghanistan as a 'brotherly Islamic country' Naqvi clarified that no foreign national would be allowed to stay in Pakistan without legal documentation. He emphasised that ongoing discussions between the two countries continue on various matters, but illegal residency would no longer be tolerated. According to the government's new policy, the process of extending PoR cards has been officially halted. Authorities are now accelerating the phase-wise repatriation of Afghan refugees. To a question, Naqvi denied any ongoing backdoor diplomacy with India, asserting that no such talks have taken place behind the scenes. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
News18
3 days ago
- Politics
- News18
Pakistan wont extend PoR cards of Afghan refugees: Minister
Agency: PTI Last Updated: Islamabad, Jul 19 (PTI) Pakistan's Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has said that the government decided not to extend the Proof of Registration (PoR) cards of Afghan refugees, according to a media report on Saturday. He said this in an informal conversation with journalists on Friday, reported the Samaa News channel. Currently, more than 1.3 million Afghan refugees in Pakistan hold PoR cards issued jointly by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees and the Government of Pakistan, granting them temporary legal status. These cards expired on June 30, leaving hundreds of thousands of Afghans in a state of limbo. The minister also said that Afghans who are now being deported from Pakistan will be blacklisted from re-entry, and clarified that this is a part of a broader national policy shift. Pakistan launched a campaign in 2023 to expel all illegal foreigners, but Afghan refugees became the chief target. According to officials, so far, more than 800,000 Afghans have left Pakistan. PTI SH GRS GRS Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Business Recorder
05-07-2025
- Politics
- Business Recorder
Afghan refugees: Action against valid PoR cards holders refrained
ISLAMABAD: The government has directed all provincial and federal authorities/agencies to refrain from taking any adverse action against registered Afghan refugees holding valid Proof of Registration (PoR) cards, revealed an official document on Saturday. The directive of the Ministry of States and Frontier Regions (SAFRON) and Kashmir Affairs comes following consultations at the federal level regarding the extension of PoR card validity. In a circular issued by the Ministry of Kashmir Affairs, Gilgit Baltistan and States and Frontier Regions (SAFRON), addressed to the Ministry of Interior, all Chief Secretaries, Inspectors General of Police, and the Chief Commissioner of Islamabad Capital Territory, the government urged that no harassment or detention of PoR card holders Afghan Refugees should occur until a final decision is made by the authorities concerned. Afghan refugees stuck in Pakistan as Germany halts entry programme Authorities are directed to instruct all relevant departments and agencies to act accordingly. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Express Tribune
04-07-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Govt holds deportation of Afghan refugees with PoR cards
Afghan refugees due for deportation to Afghanistan wait with their belongings outside a holding centre in Chaman. Photo: AFP/ File Listen to article The federal government on Friday directed authorities not to take any action against Afghan refugees holding Proof of Registration (PoR) cards, while considering extending the validity of the document, according to an official notification. 'The matter regarding the extension in validity of Proof of Registration (PoR) is under consideration by the federal government,' the notification said, instructing all departments and agencies to refrain from 'harassment or adverse action' against registered Afghan refugees until a final decision is made. Pakistan is home to over 2.8 million Afghan refugees who fled decades of conflict in Afghanistan. Of these, around 1.3 million possess PoR cards while some 813,000 hold Afghan Citizen Cards (ACC), issued in 2017 to grant temporary legal status. Earlier this year, the interior ministry ordered all 'illegal foreigners' and ACC holders to leave the country by March 31, warning of deportations starting from April 1. Authorities have since repatriated approximately 1.3 million Afghans under the ongoing deportation drive launched in November 2023. However, the new government directive offers temporary reprieve to PoR cardholders, amid growing international concern over the treatment of Afghan refugees. 'Of the nearly three million Afghan nationals in Pakistan, only a fraction have valid documentation,' Parliamentary Secretary Mukhtar Ahmad Malik told the parliamentary session. He said the government was reviewing documentation policies as part of a broader reassessment of refugee management. Pakistan has hosted Afghan refugees for over four decades, but recent security and economic pressures have prompted tighter border and immigration controls.
