UNHCR urges Pakistan to accept new influx of Afghan refugees

New Delhi: Filippo Grandi, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, has encouraged Pakistan to accept the current surge of Afghan refugees from Afghanistan, suggesting that if these refugees were sent back due to the lack of documentation, they may be at risk.

According to a report from Dawn news, he speculated that the refugees could be members of minorities or they might have some other problem.

Grandi said the future was full of uncertainties and risks, but it was important that "we in the international community continue to engage with Taliban in order to go forward and save Afghanistan and the region from disaster".

He stated that while there had not been a large exodus of refugees, some Afghans have made their way to Pakistan and may have special needs.

According to Grandi, Pakistan is extremely cautious when it comes to refugees and wants to be extremely cautious when it comes to checking who enters the nation.

Grandi also claimed that the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) would be able to increase humanitarian assistance if it were sufficiently supported and resourced, as security in Afghanistan was improving.

"The security situation has improved, but we remain concerned about the terrorist threat. We hope the new administration is united and that they do not have divisions among themselves. Otherwise, it will be a factor of destabilisation," he warned.

Grandi said the international community should find ways to support the functioning of Afghanistan state and its institutions, the report said.

"If the state ceases to function, it will provoke a crisis much bigger than the humanitarian crisis. UNHCR has not witnessed a large outflow of refugees yet but if the state collapses, a lot of people will seek refuge in other countries. Therefore, it is important to prevent that situation," he added.