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Afghanistan + 2 more

IOM Afghanistan Situation Update, 14 November 2018

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Dear colleagues and partners,

Please find below the weekly update on the return of undocumented Afghans from Iran and Pakistan for the week of 04 - 10 November 2018, along with a brief media overview on current regional events that could potentially have an affect on Afghans migrating in the region. Last week, government officials of Afghanistan and Pakistan met in Islamabad and agreed to follow a "decided timeline" for the repatriation of Afghans currently living in Pakistan. Currently, there are 1.4 million Afghans in Pakistan who hold Proof of Registration (PoR) cards as registered refugees, 327,000 Afghans who hold Afghan Citizen Cards (ACC), a further 552,000 Afghans who registered for ACC cards which have yet to be issued, and 300-400.000 Afghans who are undocumented. Although, ACC cards are set to expire by 31 December 2018. However, with the advent of winter weather, logistical challenges and ongoing state to state discussions, any large scale return is not likely to occur until spring 2019. Similarly, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) announced on November 11 it would halt the repatriation of Afghan refugees from Pakistan to Afghanistan for a three-month winter pause, as done in previous years.