A US State Department official said that Washington wanted Pakistan to keep his border with Afghanistan open for Afghan refugees, the media reported on Thursday.
“In a place like Pakistan, it will be important that their borders remain open,” said Dawn reported quoting the official said when giving a briefing journalist on Wednesday on the new US refugee acceptance program for Afghan citizens.
“Obviously, if people go north or if they go through Iran to Turkey, (they) have the opportunity to enter the country and to register with the government or with UNHCR,” officially added.
A new program, announced on Monday, applies to those who work on US-funded projects and to Afghans employed by media or non-US media organizations (NGOs).
In addition to Pakistan, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs also asked Turkey to allow Afghans to live in the country until 14 months before they settled back in the US.
During his visit to Washington earlier this week, Pakistani National Security Advisers Moeed Yusuf said that arrangements must be made to continue to displaced in their country instead of encouraging them to their country.
“Why make them ‘dar-ba-dar’ (homeless)? Create settings for them in their country.
Pakistan does not have the capacity to take more refugees.” The Turkish government has also criticized the US plan to use the third country to resolve Afghanistan, saying the move will cause a “big migration crisis” in the region.
“We do not accept irresponsible decisions taken by the US without consulting our country,” said the Turkish Foreign Ministry in a statement issued in Ankara.
“If the US wants to bring these people to their country, it is possible to move them directly to their country by plane.” There are two countries that can play an important role in this resettlement plan, Iran and Pakistan, say Dawn News reports.
Because the US does not have diplomatic relations with Iran, US policy makers see Pakistan to help them apply this program, he added.
Pakistan, however, seems reluctant to do it.
Since 1979, Pakistan has hosted millions of Afghans and more than three million permanently settled in this country.
Pakistani officials argue that their economy is not strong enough to absorb more refugees.