Around 250 people are feared missing after a boat carrying Rohingya refugees and Bangladeshi nationals capsized in the Andaman Sea, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Read More: UN urges India to investigate claims of rohingya refugees thrown into the sea The vessel was reportedly travelling from Teknaf in southern Bangladesh to Malaysia […]
UNHCR
UN warns Afghan arrests, detentions in Pakistan rise 18pc in January
ISLAMABAD: Arrests and detentions of Afghan nationals in Pakistan have risen by 18 per cent in January compared to the previous week, according to a joint ‘Flash Update’ issued by the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM). Read More: 12 illegal Afghans held in KP’s Landi Kotal, eight deported The report shows […]
Two million Afghans still living in Pakistan, says UNHCR
Despite the return of more than a million Afghans during 2025, around two million Afghan nationals are still residing in Pakistan, according to the latest data released by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Read More: UNHCR urges Pakistan to extend Afghan stay The refugee agency reported that 171,055 Afghans returned to Afghanistan in November alone. Of these, […]
Afghan P1/P2 applicants plead with US to resume resettlement
ISLAMABAD: Afghan refugees awaiting resettlement in the United States have appealed to the Trump administration to immediately resume the P1/P2 programme, saying they are living in Pakistan under severe hardship and constant fear of deportation. Read More: Thousands of Afghans rush to apply for Qatar jobs Their plea comes days after Washington suspended the processing of all […]
Afghan arrests in Pakistan jump 146pc amid border reopening
ISLAMABAD: The number of Afghan nationals arrested and detained in Pakistan has surged by 146 per cent in just one week, following the reopening of key border crossings, according to a joint report by the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM). The report revealed that 7,764 Afghan nationals were […]
Pakistan urges UNHCR to address ‘oppression’ in IIOJK, sparking clash
Reaffirming its unwavering support for the UN Human Rights Council, Pakistan has called on the 47-member body to exert its prevention decree proactively to uphold international law and protect the rights of all occupied and oppressed peoples without discrimination, including in Palestine and Jammu and Kashmir. Noting that the Geneva-based Council covers both long-standing crises […]
Pakistan reopens Torkham border for Afghan refugees only
Pakistan has reopened the Torkham border crossing, but only for Afghan refugees returning to Afghanistan. Officials from both Pakistan and Afghanistan confirmed the decision on Saturday. The border had remained closed for weeks following clashes between Taliban forces and Pakistani border troops in mid-October. According to Pakistan’s Foreign Office, cargo trucks and regular travelers are […]
Pakistan begins Afghan deportations, UN warns
Pakistan has started deporting legally registered Afghan refugees ahead of its September 1 deadline. The move targets those holding Proof of Registration (PoR) cards, which expired on June 30. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), hundreds of Afghan refugees have already been arrested and sent back between August 1 and August […]
Bilawal for sustained int’l engagement in support of Afghan refugees
ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Thursday underscored that the new humanitarian situations emerging around the world must not divert the global attention away from the needs of millions of Afghans. He emphasized the importance of sustained engagement by the international community in support of Afghan refugees as well as for the provision of […]
Pakistan urges UN Human Rights Council to boost efforts to halt growing Islamophobia
GENEVA: Pakistan has called for redoubling efforts to halt and reverse the rising trend of Islamophobia and other forms of racial discrimination, emphasizing that “meaningful accountability of the perpetrators” must be ensured. “Islamophobia is a dangerous form of contemporary racism, nurtured by decades of public rhetoric and policies against as well as stereotyping of Muslim […]