How Cohesive are Afghan refugees in Pakistan?

an analysis of challenges
and opportunities

(Literature Review )

Introduction

Forced displacements and internal migration have occurred across the world in recent
years as a result of armed conflict, violence, and political instability. 1 Most of the forcibly
displaced persons lack the financial means to leave the region, so they stay internally
displaced or go to neighboring countries in search of work. Refugees have been the world's
fastest-growing demographic segment in the last decade. 2 Afghans remain one of the world's
greatest prolonged refugee populations after nearly four decades of relocation. 3 Despite the
fact that many Afghan refugees have moved to other countries, Pakistan continues to house
the greater part of individuals who were displaced as a result of the Soviet invasion of
Afghanistan in 1979. Pakistan has been one of the world's greatest refugee host countries,
with an estimated 1.4 million refugees, 54 percent of whom are men and 46 percent of whom
are women; over 60 percent of refugees live in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. 4 Persistent instability in
Afghanistan, along with political and economic uncertainty, has deterred refugees from
returning to their homeland, resulting in an inflow of Afghans into Pakistan. Because they are
mainly unwilling to return, the refugees have low expectations of the Afghan government.
Lack of livelihood prospects and access to basic amenities in Afghanistan are specifically
mentioned in Pakistan's narrative on Afghan repatriation as significant concerns impeding
ongoing repatriation. More crucially, due to adverse political and security situations in
Afghanistan, the government's current strategy on refugee return has not delivered favorable
outcomes.
Background

Since the 1980s, Pakistan has been incredibly kind in regard to the housing and management
of Afghan refugees, despite the political, social, and economic effects on Pakistan. The
majority of the population on both sides of the border share a common socio-cultural
1
Raleigh, C. (2011). The search for safety: The effects of conflict, poverty and ecological influences on
migration in the developing world. Global Environmental Change, 21, S82-S93.
2
Pumariega, A. J., Rothe, E., & Pumariega, J. B. (2005). Mental health of immigrants and refugees. Community
mental health journal, 41(5), 581-597.
3
Malik, M. S., Afzal, M., Farid, A., Khan, F. U., Mirza, B., & Waheed, M. T. (2019). Disease status of Afghan
refugees and migrants in Pakistan. Frontiers in Public Health, 7, 185.
4
Rajan, S. I. (2022). Refugees: Status, conditions, and their future. In The Routledge Handbook of Refugees in
India (pp. 3-32). Routledge India.
practice, making cross-border movement easy for both parties. However, Pakistan has
suffered considerably as a result of the illicit border crossings, particularly because they pose
a threat to national security. The 1979 Soviet incursion in Afghanistan sparked sociopolitical
instability, leading to a civil conflict and the influx of millions of refugees to Pakistan. 5 Since
1979, Pakistan has offered sanctuary to an estimated 2.7 million Afghans. Refugees live in
camps and rely on rehabilitation help, local support, and self-employment to survive. At least
6
3.8 million refugees have returned to Afghanistan since 2002. Currently, there are three
million registered and unregistered Afghan refugees; however, the number of unregistered
refugees is believed to be much higher, as mobility across the Pak-Afghan border is
traditionally conducted in an unregulated and unsupervised manner, making an accurate
count of unregulated refugees nearly impossible. 7 As a consequence, Pakistan has been the
most exposed country in the world to societal problems including mass migration, terrorist
activity, drug trafficking, and arms trafficking from Afghanistan.8

Refugees' socioeconomic experiences both directly and indirectly contribute to the host
country's growth.9 Displacement may have a detrimental impact on refugees' labor market
prospects, especially if they do not have the legal right to work. 10 Furthermore, it may result
in the loss of assets, making refugees more susceptible to economic uncertainty.
Pakistan's national security environment has been significantly affected by the presence of
Afghan refugees. They are mostly blamed for the nation's escalating security situation. In
addition, Pakistan first warmly welcomed the Afghan refugees and provided them with
political and financial support. However, Afghan immigrants turned to social ills as soon as
the Soviet Army left Afghanistan.11

According to Bhatty (1987) the political, ethnic, economic, and social effects of the Afghan
refugees on Pakistan are extremely serious and pose a serious threat to Pakistan's political
stability and internal security. This is demonstrated by the frequent violations of Pakistan's
western borders.12

5
Khan, A. Z. (Ed.). (1982). Afghan refugees in Pakistan. Commissionerate of Afghan Refugees.
6
Khan, A. (2017). Protracted Afghan Refugee Situation. Strategic Studies, 37(1), 42-65.
7
Khan, A. (2017). Pak-Afghan Border. Strategic Studies, 37(3), 22-40.
8
Borthakur, A. (2017). Afghan refugees: The impact on Pakistan. Asian Affairs, 48(3), 488-509.
9
Rogler, L. H. (1994). International migrations: A framework for directing research. American
Psychologist, 49(8), 701.
10
Ruiz, I., & Vargas-Silva, C. (2013). The economics of forced migration. The Journal of Development
Studies, 49(6), 772-784.
11
Borthakur, A. (2017). AFGHAN REFUGEES: THE IMPACT ON PAKISTAN. Asian Affairs, 48(3), 488–
509.
Economic Effects of Afghan Refugees on Pakistan

Pakistan is a developing country in South Asia that rarely meets the demands of its
citizens. However, the influx of Afghan refugees into Pakistan in the 1980s had a significant
socioeconomic impact on the country because it was very difficult for Pakistan to accept the
underprivileged Afghan population. Finding a solution to allow 3 million Afghan refugees to
relocate to Pakistan while Afghanistan was still a conflict zone at first worried Pakistan. As a
result, Pakistan continued to bear the financial burden of them. In essence, Pakistan's support
of the Taliban government in Afghanistan was meant to wrap up the late 1990s process of
resettling Afghan refugees there. Unfortunately, the tragic occurrence of 9/11 severely
destroyed Pakistan's efforts in Afghanistan, as the US, with the assistance of an international
coalition, began bombardment in Afghanistan, which not only eliminated the Taliban regime
but also halted Pakistan's peace process in Afghanistan. 13 Due to the indiscriminate
bombardment in Afghanistan, the majority of Afghans fled to neighboring countries. A large
number of Afghans migrated to Pakistan due to socio-cultural ties between the peoples of
Pakistan and Afghanistan. Unlike the Afghan Mujaheddin in the 1980s, post-9/11 Afghan
migrants moved to Pakistan to reside permanently. Initially, various national and
international humanitarian organizations were seen gathering donations for Afghan refugees.
However, through participating in local commercial operations, Afghan refugees increasingly
assimilated into the local society.14

According to some studies, Afghan labour migration has been economically advantageous to
Pakistan in the form of labour, remittances, and business. However, the presence of a
significant number of Afghan migrants increased demand for goods and reduced supply,
resulting in inflation in some sections of the country. Most notably, the presence of Afghan
refugees increased the number of job options in Pakistan's labour markets because the
refugees worked in low-wage jobs for the longest period of time. Pakistan also paid an
environmental cost for its generosity as a host country. Refugees required pastures for their

12
Bhatty, S. (1987). Impact of the Afghan refugees on Pakistan. Can be seen on
https://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/etd/1674/

13
Hamid, A. (2014). A comparative study of Pakistani and British press regarding the framing of Afghanistan
war 2001. Journal of Governance and Development, 10(July), 23–44.

14
Noor, S. (2006). Afghan Refugees After 9/11. Pakistan Horizon, 59(1), 59–78.
livestock, which occasionally resulted in the deterioration of local ecosystems. Overall, their
presence increased the strain on Pakistan's infrastructure, particularly education, schools,
hospitals, and other social trusts.15

Social Impacts of Afghan Refugees on Pakistan

The presence of Afghan refugees in Pakistan is regarded to have serious social and security
implications for Pakistan. They have been held accountable for worsening the country's
security situation.16 Most crucially, it is claimed that the presence of Afghan refugees in
Pakistan provides terrorists with a safe and convenient base from which to carry out their
terrorist actions.17 There is no denying that the presence of Afghan refugees has exacerbated
sectarianism in Pakistan. Since the 1980s, it is widely assumed that the implications of
Afghan migrants have included ideological confrontation between Sunni and Shi'i
organisations, ethnic turmoil, Talibanisation of Pakistani society, Islamisation in Pakistan,
and smuggling.18 It is also claimed that the most harmful gift of Afghan migrants to the
people of Pakistan was the Kalashnikov/gun culture. This has given rise to criminal,
smuggling, and drug trafficking operations in Pakistan. 19 According to Borthakur, the number
of drug users in Pakistan has been steadily increasing since the 1980s, when people in
Pakistan gained easy access to Afghan drugs. Many Pakistani have close socio-cultural ties
with the people of Afghanistan and have been involved in the illicit smuggling of vehicles,
drugs, guns, and other small products from Afghanistan to Pakistan. This not only had an
impact on Pakistan's GDP but also made the country more vulnerable and prone to military
and unlawful operations. In this context, Roehrs says that Afghans either killed and
kidnapped individuals in Pakistan for ransom and then took easy refuge on Afghan soil 20. the
attack on Army Public School in Peshawar on December 16, 2014, is an example that killed
150 lives and was carried out in Afghanistan with some suspected backing from within
Pakistan. As a result, on December 25th, 2014, an Anti-Terrorism Action Plan was developed
15
Grare, F., & Maley, W. (2011). Afghan refugees in Pakistan. Middle East Institute. Refugees Cooperation,
19(special issue), 14–16
16
Schmeidl, S. (2002). (Human) security dilemmas: Long-term implications of the Afghan refugee crisis. Third
World Quarterly, 23(1), 7–29.
17
Grare, F., & Maley, W. (2011). Afghan refugees in Pakistan. Middle East Institute. Refugees Cooperation.
18
Borthakur, A. (2017). AFGHAN REFUGEES: THE IMPACT ON PAKISTAN. Asian Affairs, 48(3), 488–
509. https://doi.org/10.1080/03068374.2017.1362871
19
Dupree, N. H. (1988). Demographic reporting on Afghan refugees in Pakistan. Modern Asian Studies, 24(4),
845–865.
20
Roehrs, C. (2015). The Refugee Dilemma: Afghans in Pakistan between expulsion and failing aid schemes.
Afghanistan Analysts Network, 9(1). http://www.afghanistananalysts.org/wp-content/uploads/wp-post-to-pdf-
cache/1/the-refugee-dilemma-afghansin-pakistan-between-expulsion-and-failing-aid-schemes.pdf
and implemented, which included the repatriation of Afghan refugees from Pakistan. Aside
from that, Afghan migrants have been blamed for escalating ethnic violence in Pakistan since
their arrival in Pakistan's major cities. A large number of Afghans migrating to Quetta,
Hyderabad, and Karachi caused worry among the locals, who feared being racially
marginalized.

Conclusion

The issue of Afghan refugees has become a severe threat to Pakistan's national security since
they are accused of inciting sectarianism, ethnic conflict, and other economic and political
insecurity in the country. Much of this has become the primary source of friction in Pakistan-
Afghanistan relations. To deal with a large number of refugees, democratic forces and the
military establishment must develop a national security strategy that not only ensures the
repatriation of Afghan refugees to Afghanistan but also takes measures to secure the Durand
Line border. Afghan refugees continue to be the primary source of cross-border terrorism in
the PAK-AFG region. Afghanistan's fragile economic and political situation is undoubtedly a
major obstacle to the repatriation of Afghan refugees, and Pakistan is well aware that war-
torn Afghanistan cannot handle millions of refugees at once, but on the other hand, Pakistan
Can't afford to feed, which poses a serious threat not only to Pakistan's national security but
also to its economic and political stability.