Afghanistan acceded to the 1951 Convention and 1967 Protocol relating to the Status of Refugees in 2005, but has not implemented a national asylum framework.
In 2014, Afghanistan received an influx of Pakistani refugees from North Waziristan Agency; an estimated 100,000 remain in a protracted refugee-like situation.
Under its mandate, UNHCR has registered 386 asylum-seekers and refugees of various nationalities in Kabul and other urban centres.
KEY INDICATORS
38,365
refugees from NWA biometrically registered in Khost province, including 11,388 in Gulan camp
35,949
refugees from NWA in Paktika province (registration verified 2016)
3,838
families received wheat and other food assistance in November 2017; as of 1 December, 1,392 tents and 401 NFI kits with blankets, essential household utensils and sanitary items, along with 27 gas cylinders, have been distributed in 2017.
Operational Context and Response
The Government of Afghanistan acceded to the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol in 2005. UNHCR continues to advocate for the enactment of a Refugee Law as a member of a taskforce comprised of the Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation (MoRR), Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA), Ministry of Interior (MoI), and other government agencies, and provides technical support to enable the Government to meet its international commitments. A workshop on international refugee law and protection principles was co-facilitated on 7 November by UNHCR and MoRR in Kabul. At present, however, there is no national asylum framework to regulate issues of refugee protection in Afghanistan.
Under its mandate, UNHCR registers asylum-seekers in Afghanistan as a protection tool, with the aim to identify and assist persons with specific needs (PSN); to support access to humanitarian assistance and essential services including education and health care; to ensure freedom of movement and uphold basic rights; and to provide a minimum safeguard against refoulement. UNHCR conducts refugee status determination (RSD) where the formal recognition of an individual’s refugee status would lead to a durable solution, such as resettlement.