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Pakistan suggests world gathering on Afghan refugee issue
Muhammad Abbas Khan said a summit could encourage Western countries to increase their quotas and expedite the resettlement process of Afghan refugees
Pakistan on Tuesday suggested an international multilateral summit be convened to bring together stakeholders to address challenges related to the voluntary repatriation and third-country resettlement of Afghan refugees.
According to Pakistani media, the idea was floated by Muhammad Abbas Khan, chief commissioner for Afghan refugees (CCAR) at the Ministry of States and Frontier Regions (SAFRON), at an Islamabad seminar.
Dawn News reported that Khan suggested the main objective of such a conference should be to encourage Western countries to increase their quotas and expedite the process for admitting Afghan applicants into their countries from Pakistan.
Speaking at a seminar titled “Challenges and Opportunities in Repatriation and Resettlement of Afghan Refugees”, Khan emphasized the importance of international burden-sharing.
He shared that there were around 600,000 Afghan resettlement applicants registered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) but that the organization’s quota for resettlement applications for the year was only 8,000.
This, he said, was very unrealistic.
He also stated that the repatriation process of Afghan refugees posed numerous challenges.
According to him, Pakistan has repatriated over four million Afghan refugees since 2002.
He also said Afghanistan’s capacity to absorb large numbers of refugees was limited.
Khan said a tripartite meeting with the Afghan government and the UNHCR would be held soon to discuss issues related to refugees.
According to Dawn News, he stated that the repatriation process of illegal Afghans had gone smoothly and successfully and over 600,000 had returned since the process began in November 2023.
The United Nations meanwhile announced earlier this week that 2.2 million Afghan migrants returned from Iran and Pakistan between September 15, 2023 and September 30, 2024.
On Sunday, November 17, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) released new data, noting that many of the deported individuals were provided with initial assistance.
The UN agency added that the Iranian government has intensified its deportation of Afghan migrants, resulting in hundreds of individuals crossing the borders into Afghanistan daily.
The Embassy of Japan in Afghanistan has announced scholarship opportunities for Afghan students under the Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship Program for the 2027 academic year.
According to the embassy, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) of Japan is offering scholarships for graduate-level study at Japanese universities under the research student category, including both regular and non-regular students.
Interested and eligible applicants can download the application guidelines and forms from the official Study in Japan website and are advised to carefully review all requirements before applying.
Applicants who meet the eligibility criteria and have prepared all required documents must submit their applications by 25 May 2026. The embassy said late or incomplete submissions will not be accepted.
The first screening process will include a written examination in Kabul on 18 June 2026, followed by interviews scheduled for July 2026 (date to be confirmed).
The Embassy of Japan noted that the Aga Khan Foundation Afghanistan will assist in collecting applications and facilitating written examinations, but will not be involved in the selection process.
It further emphasized that the selection will be conducted independently by the embassy and the Japanese government, based on academic merit, quality of application documents, and performance in written and interview examinations, without consideration of religious, linguistic, or ethnic background.
The scholarship program is fully funded and free of charge. The embassy warned applicants to remain cautious against scams, stressing that no financial contributions are required at any stage of the application process.
Abdul Salam Hanafi, Deputy Prime Minister for Administrative Affairs, has launched the distribution of more than 1,000 residential land plots for returning migrants in Logar province.
During a visit to Logar, Hanafi inaugurated a new township and said the initiative aims to support Afghan returnees by providing them with housing opportunities and improving settlement conditions.
He called for speeding up the process of distributing residential plots designated for migrants, stressing the importance of timely implementation.
“We inaugurated this township today, which includes more than 1,000 plots. These plots will be distributed to migrants. In addition, other townships will also be constructed soon,” he said.
Hanafi also noted that over the past three years, more than five million Afghan migrants have returned from neighboring countries, adding that efforts are underway to provide them with essential services and support their reintegration.
Pakistan’s Ambassador to Afghanistan, Ubaid-ur-Rehman Nizamani, has urged the Afghan authorities to take concrete action against militant threats that Islamabad says originate from Afghan soil.
Speaking at an event at the Pakistan Embassy in Kabul marking the first anniversary of Operation Bunyan-um-Marsoos against India, Nizamani reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to maintaining “brotherly ties” with Afghanistan.
The ambassador also highlighted Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts in reducing tensions between Iran and the United States, saying Islamabad’s initiatives reflected its commitment to regional and global peace.
During the ceremony, Nizamani reaffirmed Pakistan’s determination to defend itself against any aggression.
“Pakistan’s desire for peace must never be mistaken for weakness,” the ambassador said, calling for heightened vigilance against regional threats.
Pakistani officials have consistently claimed that militants use Afghan soil to attack Pakistan. The Islamic Emirate, however, has denied this claim and said that Afghanistan is not responsible for Pakistan’s security failures.
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