South-West Asia

Response in 2019

As they entered a fifth decade of protracted displacement, Afghans constituted the second largest refugee population in the world. With more than 950,000 and 1.4 million registered refugees respectively, the Islamic Republics of Iran and Pakistan hosted nearly 90% of the world’s 2.7 million Afghan refugees. Both countries also hosted sizeable populations of documented and undocumented Afghans of varying legal status. Due to a deterioration in the security situation, uncertainties related to political transition and limited absorption capacity and reintegration opportunities in Afghanistan, voluntary repatriation decreased over the past three years, reaching an historic low of 8,100 returnees (assisted by UNHCR and processed at encashment centres in Afghanistan) in 2019. At the same time, 2019 saw a marked increase in movements to Europe, with Afghans constituting the largest group of new arrivals at year-end.
 
Despite their own socio-economic challenges, the Islamic Republics of Iran and Pakistan remained committed to inclusive policies, notably in access to national education and health care systems, as well as human capital development and economic opportunities.
 
The three governments and UNHCR continued to pro-actively engage within the multi-year regional Solutions Strategy for Afghan Refugees (SSAR), which remained the principal framework for responsibility-sharing and solutions for Afghan refugees. In view of the demographic composition of the Afghan refugee population in the region – more than 60% children and youth - a cross-cutting theme of the SSAR is youth empowerment through education, health and skills training. To this end, UNHCR played a catalytic role in channelling investment in the human capital, resilience and portable skills of refugee youth in host countries, enabling young Afghans to contribute to their host communities pending return. At the same time, these activities enhanced the potential of the youth to contribute to nation-building and reconstruction in Afghanistan upon return.

In December 2019, UNHCR and the three governments launched a Support Platform for the SSAR, in line with the commitments and provisions of the Global Compact on Refugees. The platform provides an opportunity to redefine the way in which the international community, as a whole, responds to the Afghan refugee situation. It recognizes the imperative to support both the inclusive policies of the host countries and the Government of Afghanistan’s commitment to enable the voluntary repatriation and sustainable reintegration of refugees.  
 
In this regard, the focus in Afghanistan remained on enhancing capacity by leveraging humanitarian and development partnerships in the priority areas of return and reintegration (PARRs). The 20 PARRs link community-based protection projects to longer-term development programs and encouraged private sector investment. They are aligned with Afghanistan’s national peace and development framework and national priority programmes, notably the Citizens’ Charter, as well as the Displacement and Return Executive Committee (DiREC) policy framework and action plan on returnees and IDPs.
 
Equally important, UNHCR sought to channel additional investments into the national public service delivery systems in the Islamic Republics of Iran and Pakistan (education, health care, social protection, vocational skills development), with a view to supporting inclusive government policies and benefitting host communities and refugees alike.