ISLAMABAD: In a significant move amid ongoing efforts to repatriate Afghan refugees, the federal government has issued a notification directing the closure of Afghan refugee camps in Balochistan.
The move came Pakistan decided to shut down 16 Afghan refugee camps in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, and Punjab with similar notifications issued in the case of other provinces.
Last month, the federal government informed the provinces last month that the formal repatriation and deportation of over 1.3 million Afghan refugees holding Proof of Registration (PoR) cards will begin on September 1.
The decision, part of a broader policy to phase out refugee settlements, will see the camps, their land, and assets transferred to the provincial government.
According to the notification, the camps located in five districts — Chaghi, Qilla Abdullah, Pishin, Qilla Saifullah and Loralai — will be shut down.
These sites have housed hundreds of thousands of Afghan refugees for decades since 1980s.
As far as the future use if concerned, the handover process aims to ensure that the assets are repurposed for local communities, with deputy commissioners in the respective districts tasked with overseeing the transition and guaranteeing that camp resources benefit the indigenous population.
“The deputy commissioners of the concerned districts will ensure the utilization of camp assets for the local population,” the notification states, emphasizing a focus on community safety and productive use of non-movable assets such as buildings and infrastructure.
The move reflects the government’s push to repatriate over 850,000 Afghan refugees who have returned home in recent years.
RISING TERRORISM
Government officials have cited security concerns and the need for legal documentation as key drivers behind the policy. They have linked undocumented Afghan refugees to rising terrorism in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The provincial government has been instructed to coordinate with federal authorities to manage the handover smoothly.