Afghan refugees in Pakistan, who are awaiting resettlement in the United States, have called on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to stop the deportation of people from Afghanistan and to streamline the visa extension process for refugees.According to Dawn news, the Afghan refugees posted a two-page open letter to Pakistan's prime minister calling him to immediately halt the deportations &who have pending or approved visa applications for entry into the United States or accepted referrals into the USRAP&.This comes after Pakistan set a deadline of March 31 for all Afghan refugees to leave Islamabad and Rawalpindi.Those with Afghan Citizen Cards have been asked to leave by March 31 whereas those who have Proof of Registration from UNHCR can stay in Pakistan till June 30.The letter also asked for streamlining the exit permit process to ensure that Afghans with immigration pathways to third countries and who were ready to depart could leave without &roadblocks&.According to the letter, many Afghans in Pakistan are in the &late stages of exhaustive vetting processes and are awaiting US visa or refugee status approval& and sending them back to Afghanistan &runs counter to humanitarian principles and international accords to which Pakistan is a signatory&.At a minimum, we hope to see an exemption from detention or deportation for Afghans who have pending or approved immigration applications to the United States,& the letter added.The letter also stated: &We strongly urge you to act promptly and compassionately.
Afghan refugees would welcome the opportunity to discuss these matters with officials of your government to strengthen our cooperation.
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