Afghans in Pakistan
Citizens of Afghanistan temporarily residing in Pakistan / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Afghans in Pakistan (Urdu: افغان مهاجرين, Afghān muhājirīn, lit. 'Afghan migrants') are temporary residents from Afghanistan who are registered in Pakistan as refugees and asylum seekers.[2] They fall under the jurisdiction of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).[3][4] Most of them were born and raised in Pakistan during the last four decades.[5] Additionally, there are also Special Immigrant Visa applicants awaiting to immigrate to the United States.[6][7][8][9]
This article possibly contains original research. (June 2016) |
افغان مهاجرين | |
---|---|
Total population | |
c. 4.4 million (2023)[1] | |
Languages | |
Native: Pashto, Dari, Hazaragi Additional: Urdu, English | |
Religion | |
Islam (Sunni majority, Shia minority) |
The Pakistani government began admitting Afghans after the beginning of the Soviet–Afghan War in 1979; by the end of 2001, there were over four million of them on the Pakistani side.[10][11][12] About 75% of them have returned to their native country of Afghanistan since 2002.
As of October 2023[update], the United Nations estimates that nearly 3.7 million Afghans reside in Pakistan, while Pakistani authorities believe the number to be as high as 4.4 million.[13][14][15] Of these, only a few hold the required documentation allowing them to legally stay in Pakistan.[13] As of June 2023[update], approximately 1,333,749 registered refugees still remain in Pakistan according to UNHCR.[10] On 3 October 2023, the Interior Minister of Pakistan Sarfraz Bugti ordered that all undocumented immigrants, mainly nearly 1.73 million Afghan nationals, to voluntarily leave the country by 1 November 2023, or face deportation in a crackdown.[16]