The UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) provides assistance to Afghan refugees and asylum seekers in Pakistan. The organization works to protect their rights and provide them with essential services, including legal assistance, shelter, and healthcare. The UNHCR also advocates for their protection and durable solutions, which may include voluntary repatriation, local integration, or resettlement in third countries. For more information, visit the UNHCR website or contact your local UNHCR office.
Registration
The UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) provides a registration guide for Afghan refugees in Pakistan to help them navigate the refugee status determination process. The guide includes information on eligibility criteria, the documentation required, and the steps involved in the registration process. It also provides guidance on how to access necessary services and documents, such as a residence permit and health insurance. By following this guide, Afghan refugees in Pakistan can ensure that their registration is completed accurately and efficiently.
For registration as a refugee in Pakistan, you should contact directly the UNHCR or its partners (SHARP and SEHER) for registration.
Introducing the Refugees to Relocation Programs
Recently, certain countries have announced opportunities for Afghan nationals who have worked or been associated with them to apply for permission to travel to those countries. These programs are established by the respective countries and UNHCR is not involved in referring people or processing applications.
There might be additional programs that are currently available or will soon be available to support Afghan people in or outside of Afghanistan. UNHCR will attempt to stay informed of the latest announcements about these state-sponsored programs. You can find details about these programs on the websites set up by the respective governments. For the most up-to-date information and links to these government websites, please check the UNHCR Afghanistan page.
RSD and Resettlement Interviews
An RSD (Refugee Status Determination) interview with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is a crucial step in the refugee resettlement process. During the interview, the UNHCR officer will assess the applicant's eligibility for resettlement based on their refugee status, vulnerability, and other factors. The interview typically covers the applicant's background, experiences, and reasons for seeking resettlement. The UNHCR will use this information to determine whether the applicant meets the criteria for resettlement and to make a recommendation to the relevant governments.
If you have applied for refugee status from the UNHCR office in your country, you may be called in for an RSD interview. During this interview, a UNHCR officer will determine if you meet the refugee definition under international law. The primary applicant will be the person in the family who applies for refugee status, and if recognized as a refugee, their spouse and children under 18 will also be recognized. Other dependents may also be included in your refugee file if they are dependent on you. During the interview, UNHCR will determine if you meet the requirements of the refugee definition, which includes being outside of your country, fearing serious harm if you return to your country, and being afraid of harm for reasons such as race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group.
Before the interview, it is important to prepare by writing a summary of events in the order that they happened. During the interview, always tell the truth and try to tell your story in the order that it happened. If you require an interpreter during the interview, answer questions in short sentences and give the interpreter time to interpret all the details of your story. If there is anything that you are uncomfortable sharing in front of your family, tell the officer that you would rather talk about it in private. After the interview, write down key details and any parts of your story that you think might have been confusing to the officer.
Protection and Legal Assistance
UNHCR is urging Pakistan to maintain its protection of vulnerable Afghans who have sought refuge in the country, in response to Pakistan's plan to deport undocumented Afghans. UNHCR has offered support to Pakistan in developing a system to manage and register individuals in need of international protection and address specific vulnerabilities. UNHCR emphasizes that any return of refugees must be voluntary and without coercion in order to ensure the safety of those seeking refuge.
For legal and protection assistance please this link and call for help in your area.
Shelter
Under the Refugee Affected and Hosting Areas initiative, (RAHA) more than 2100 projects have been completed in the region since 2009. UNHCR has also undertaken a number of shelter interventions in conflict-affected areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and FATA for those internally displaced as well as for flood-affected families. These include flood emergency transitional shelters, shelter repair kits, transitional shelters, tented shelters, one-room permanent shelters, shelter roofing kits, tents, core relief items, two-room shelters, and monetarized shelter grants. Since 2010, the Agency has built some 60,261 shelters in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and FATA worth $25,464,850.
Cash Assistance
The UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) provides cash assistance to Afghan refugees in Pakistan to help them meet their basic needs. The cash assistance program aims to support the most vulnerable refugees, including women, children, and the elderly, who have limited or no access to other forms of assistance. The funds are disbursed through a prepaid card or cash transfer, allowing refugees to purchase essential items such as food, clothes, and shelter. The UNHCR has been implementing this program since 2009, and it has helped thousands of Afghan refugees in Pakistan to improve their living conditions.
UNHCR’s cash assistance program was launched in January 2023 in collaboration with the Government of Pakistan, the private sector, and other partners, and was concluded in June. Afghan refugees received up to PKR 25,000, depending on their family size.
For those Afghans seeking specific information, "Beporsed" is here to help. You can reach our information center through WhatsApp (+93729807235), Facebook Messenger, or our website's Messenger to ask our online information desk officer for assistance.
For more information
For more information on immigration, resettlement, education and scholarship programs, and other opportunities available to Afghans worldwide, as well as details on the humanitarian services provided by international organizations in Afghanistan and procedures for obtaining civil documents from governmental institutions, please visit Beporsed's website and social media pages.