Pakistan: Afghan refugees protest outside UNHCR office in Islamabad
Apr 25, 2022
Islamabad [Pakistan], April 25 : Afghan refugees protested outside the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Islamabad as they seek the distribution of immigration cards to expedite their registration.
The asylum seekers claim that they have repeatedly contacted the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Islamabad but have not received clear answers, reported TOLOnews.
"They have been waiting for six to eight months with their families and children, with the current high price of living in Islamabad. It is very difficult to get a house," said a protestor.
"The Afghan protest with the slogan 'kill us' has reached the fifth day. On the third day, a number of UN representatives came and saw our problems up close," another protestor added.
According to TOLOnews, many of the Afghan refugees who flew to neighbouring nations seeking shelters after the Taliban takeover last August encountered atrocities as many do not have the legal documents or visas.
"For the past six months, we have been given a token, which is a piece of paper. it has no legal privileges and we have not received any human and humanitarian privileges," one of the protesting asylum seekers said.
Since the Taliban's return to power in August last year, Afghanistan's situation has only deteriorated as serious human rights violations continue unabated.
Earlier, UNHCR has asked the European Union to accept 42,500 Afghans over five years but the request was resisted by the countries.
