Senior Swiss migration official visits Pakistan to assess Afghan refugee situation (Islamabad, 21-22 October 2021)

Local news, 27.10.2021

A Swiss delegation led by Ambassador Vincenzo Mascioli, Director  of International Cooperation at the Swiss State Secretariat for Migration, visited Islamabad from 21-22 October 2021 to hold meetings with high-level Pakistani government officials and international partners. The objective of the visit was to assess the situation of Afghan refugees in Pakistan.

Swiss delegation from the State Secretarait of Migration with the Secretary, Ministry of States and Frontier Regions
Swiss delegation from the State Secretarait of Migration with the Secretary, Ministry of States and Frontier Regions ©FDFA

The Swiss delegation visited the UNHCR office in Islamabad and was briefed on the situation at the Afghan refugee camps in Pakistan. The Secretary of the States and Frontier Regions (SAFRON), Mr. Pervaiz Ahmed Junejo, in turn highlighted the need to invest in health and education for the refugee population, whereas the Chief Commissioner for Afghan Refugees, Mr. Saleem Khan, called for a sustained international effort to address the plight of refugees. The Chairman of the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), Muhammad Tariq Malik, showcased the electronic visa application program, a program that Pakistan is extending to a number of European countries. In order to gain first-hand experience, Ambassador Mascioli concluded by visiting the Society for Human Rights and Prisoners Aid (SHARP), a Pakistani NGO that provides legal aid to Afghan refugees, and talked to refugees in a settlement on the outskirts of Islamabad.

The Swiss delegation also had the opportunity to exchange views with like-minded countries, including the members of the Core group of the Support Platform for the Solutions Strategy for Afghan refugees (SSAR).