OUR HISTORY AND INTRODUCTION

Commissionerate Afghan Refugees was established in 1979 under the Federal Government Orders to facilitate the Afghan Refugees who were crossing the borders and coming into Pakistan to find refuge due to the ongoing war in Afghanistan.
There is a Commissionerate for Afghan Refugees (CAR) in each Province of the country and having the Chief Commissionerate (CCAR) based in Islamabad. All the Commissionerates and the Chief Commissioner work under the Ministry of SAFRON, Islamabad.

At present Pakistan is hosting 1.42 million registered Afghan Refugees who are in possession of Proof of Registration (PoR) cards, while 0.84 million newly documented Afghans (Afghan Citizen Card holders) and 0.5 million estimated un-registered Afghans are also residing in Pakistan. Among the registered Afghans, 68% are scattered in the urban and rural areas camps. Currently, the POR holders are being managed and voluntarily repatriated under Tripartite Agreement and facilitated through UNCHR’s voluntary repatriation program while the Proof of Registration (POR) Card gives them cover to stay temporarily in Pakistan. They are recognized as registered Refugees by UNHCR, while Govt. of Pakistan through policy decisions by Federal Cabinet and administrative arrangements extends them the same privileges and facilities as enjoyed elsewhere by Refugees, including the applicability of “Non-Refoulment under Tripartite Agreement”.