Final Report of CONSULTATIVE DIALOGUES ON ‘’CITIZENSHIP RIGHTS TO REFUGEE CHILDREN AND STATELESS PERSONS’’
SHARP-Pakistan and Refugee Rights Network (RRN-Pakistan) fully endorse the humanitarian vision of Prime Minister of Pakistan and stand with the government of Pakistan towards the positive initiative of the Prime Minister.
Introduction/Background:
Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan proposed the integration policy for Pakistani born refugee children and stateless persons. This idea was widely appreciated by all the stakeholders across the globe except some quarters in Pakistan who has reservations on this issue. He thereafter invited suggestions in this regard while speaking in the parliament.
By endorsing the humanitarian stance of PM, SHARP-Pakistan voluntarily started advocacy campaign to further strengthen and support the PM’s vision and the government of Pakistan by engaging all the relevant stakeholders to bring together their suggestions for durable solution.
Pakistan has been hosting millions of Afghan Refugees and accommodating stateless people on its soil for decades truly on humanitarian grounds. It has always been sincerely supporting and contributing towards the solution strategy for the long- standing issue of Afghan refugees. Though Pakistan is not a signatory to UN Convention of Refugees 1951, yet despite all odds, government and people of Pakistan are generously hosting a large number of refugees for such a long time respecting international obligations. International community has always been appreciative of Pakistan’s contributions and sacrifices towards refugee cause. Despite numerous internal and external security challenges and economic hardships, Pakistani nation, government and its worthy institutions protected refugees and perhaps it is the sole example in the world that communities are living together peacefully for four decades.
The solution strategy requires continuous discussions, dialogues and consultations among the stakeholders to understand the real challenges and adopt practical approach towards the durable solution for the most protracted issue of refugees and stateless persons in Pakistan.
Consultative Dialogues:
Keeping in mind the above situation, SHARP-Pakistan and Refugee Rights Network (RRN-Pakistan) planned to organize a series of nationwide consultative dialogues to brainstorm, to share views to understand the reservations and seek feedback from the organizations and relevant stakeholders for providing support to the government on the issue to discuss the durable solution for the most protracted refugee situation in Pakistan in the light of refugee management policy adopted by federal government in February 2017 and the recent positive development after the humanitarian statement of Prime Minister of Pakistan considering the citizenship to refugee Children and stateless persons living in Pakistan, by engaging stakeholders to collect their views on the initiative of the Prime Minister of Pakistan.
For this intervention, consultative dialogues were held in Islamabad, Karachi, Quetta, Peshawar and Lahore in recent months which were largely attended by different stakeholders including parliamentarians, Legal experts, academia, media, international community, civil society who discussed legal aspects and probabilities of citizenship Act.
View or Download Full Report:
The observations, deliberations and recommendations of these dialogues are available in report form. To view or download complete report, please click this link.