Afghan Refugees in Pakistan and Syrian Refugees in European Union: A Comparative Analysis

Abstract

Displaced persons are Refugees, cross borders under coercion by force, leave motherland and difficult to return safely to home of parents. Root word is ‘refuge’ from which ‘refugee’ is derived, it means hiding and shelter from danger. Pakistan is not signatory of Refugee Convention 1951 but member of the United Nations (UN). Afghan refugees are living in Pakistan for approximately four decades, the Government of Pakistan provides favorable treatment and atmosphere to Afghan Refugees in Pakistan. Resultantly, Pakistan has been suffering terrorism, political instability, and economic dropdown though after left of Unites States of America (USA) in 2021, many more Afghan Refugees are expected to migrate to Pakistan. International Community is required to work and ensure peace and stability in Afghanistan in order to ensure returning back of Afghan Refugees to their parent’s home safely and work for stability and peace of Afghanistan and the region so that they live there peacefully. According to Universal Declaration of Human Rights’ (UDHR) article 14: everybody has freedom and right to enjoy, seek asylum from persecution in other countries. Asylum right not invoked if (i) genuinely arising prosecutions from non-political crimes, or (ii) acts repugnant to principles and purposes of United Nations, and Convention Relating to Status of Refugee signed in 1951 under United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). There are 145 signatories currently to Refugee Convention 1951 but Pakistan has not yet acceded to Refugee Convention 1951. According to Refugee Convention 1951 preamble: freedom under fundamental rights enjoyed by human beings under Charter of the UN and UDHR without discrimination. The UN has assured efforts to expand freedom under fundamental rights to refugees. Communitarian Critique research methodology is deployed to help understand issues of refugees. Qualitative methodology is used while conducting this research, an analytical and comparative methods to analyze and compare Government of Pakistan’s treatment of Afghan refugees in Pakistan approximately for 4 decades as compare to Syrian Refugees’ treatment by European Union (EU). The largest populated migrants refugee country of the world for 4 decades is Pakistan, approximately 5 million Afghan nationals migrated to Pakistan during Cold War and approximately around 1.3 million still living in Pakistan and they are not willing to go back to Afghanistan specially after withdrawal of USA in 2021. The International Community is required, requested, and suggested to wish, help, and endeavor to build up economies of Afghanistan and Pakistan and try to strengthen stability and peace so that remaining Afghan nationals who are living as refugees in Pakistan can go back to their motherland safely, happily, and live there peacefully.