INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said Tuesday Washington is in close and constant communication with Islamabad over the 25,000
Afghans in Pakistan who are waiting for their US visas.&So we are in close and constant communication with the Government of Pakistan on the
safety of individuals in the U.S
It is our desire to work in good faith with the Government of Pakistan to address any concerns that it may have.&Our key concern is the
safety of the vulnerable and at-risk individuals
We believe it is in both our countries& interest to ensure the safe and efficient resettlement of refugees and asylum seekers
And we join all of our partners in urging all countries, including Pakistan, to uphold their respective obligations in the treatment of
refugees and asylum seekers, and strongly encourage all of Afghanistan&s neighbors to allow entry for Afghans seeking international
protection, and coordinate with international humanitarian organizations to provide humanitarian assistance,& he said.Meanwhile the
International Organization for Migration (IOM), together with humanitarian partners, are delivering a range of critical aid at border
crossing points between Pakistan and Afghanistan in response to the hundreds of thousands of forcibly returned Afghans.According to IOM,
nearly 375,000 Afghans have left Pakistan in the past two months primarily through the Torkham and Spin Boldak border crossings.IOM noted
that the number of border crossings has dramatically increased from 200 daily to 17,000 since Pakistan&s Illegal Foreigners& Repatriation
Plan set a November 1 deadline for the &voluntary return& of all undocumented Afghans in Pakistan to their country of origin.Critical aid
including shelter, water, sanitation, essential household items, healthcare, protection and nutrition services, as well as cash to cover
basic needs, transportation and food is being provided by the IOM-led border consortium.The post Washington ‘working closely& with
Islamabad over Afghans waiting for US visas first appeared on Ariana News.
