Pakistan hosts 1.7 million registered Afghan refugees, the majority having resided there for three decades. Although over five million Afghan refugees have repatriated from Pakistan and Iran since 2002, the era of mass returns has largely ended with only about 54,000 Afghans repatriating in 2009 and more than 112,000 in 2010.
Though humanitarian conditions in both Afghanistan and Pakistan have become more difficult in recent years, Pakistan’s tolerant practices toward Afghan refugees over three decades, combined with the U.S. Government’s high level of engagement in the region, present opportunities for improved protection, assistance and durable solutions for long-staying refugees.
