Afghan refugees living in Mansehra asked to vacate their camps by June 30

MANSEHRA: Afghan refugees living in Mansehra on Tuesday have been served final notice to vacate their camps till June 30, ARY News reported.

As many as 2,397 families are living in the three camps situated in the area.

Assistant Commissioner Mansehra Talat Fahad has directed Afghan refugees to leave their camps latest by June 30.

“The decision has been taken in the wake to ensure China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) security”, the AC said in a notice issued in t his context.

According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Pakistan is hosting over 1.4 million Afghan refugees, making the country the second largest host of refugee population in the world.

Some refugees have been living in Pakistan for three generations. They have established their business here, and some of them have even married locals and have been deeply integrated into society.

Read more: Govt has no plans to extend stay of Afghan refugees in Pakistan: Yousafzai

The interim stay of Afghan refugees extended by the Pakistani government is coming to an end on June 30, and Minister of State for States and Frontier Region Shehryar Khan Afridi affirmed that his country supports voluntary repatriation of the Afghan refugees residing in Pakistan in safety and dignity.

In a recent meeting, Pakistan, Afghanistan and the UNHCR agreed to launch an awareness program to enable Afghan refugees to make a decision to voluntarily return, with the facilitation and coordination of Pakistan.