Afghan refugees and Bengali immigrants can now obtain citizenship in Pakistan, following an announcement by Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Imran Khan. With about 1.4 million Afghan refugees and almost a quarter-million Bengali immigrants, Pakistan has more refugees than almost any other country in the world. Khan is granting citizenship to Bengali immigrants, some of whom have been living in Pakistan since the 1970s, and to the children of Afghan refugees who were born in Pakistan. He compares the situation to America, and how people may get citizenship after living in most countries for long periods of time. Khan is promising ID cards and passports to both groups of people. However, most Pakistani people view Afghan refugees in a negative light, as being involved in crime and ‘having overstayed their welcome.’ Even in recent years, there have been issues for refugees living in Pakistan, some being forced to go back to their countries.
I thought that this was a really positive step for any country, since the refugee crisis has become such a huge global issue. Most citizens of war-torn countries have no options but to stay in their country or become refugees, and most countries are not willing to take in these people. I think it will help many more refugees and maybe cause other countries to be willing to open up their borders or grant citizenship to refugees in their country. I was surprised that Khan was willing to grant citizenship to the Bengali immigrants, since, as mentioned in the article, Bangladesh (formerly East Pakistan) was formed following a civil war in Pakistan. However, Pakistan also has a reputation for sending refugees back to their countries, according to a 2016 report from Human Rights Watch, which makes me skeptical of the process. Altogether, I think this is really progressive for a government to grant citizenship to refugees, and I think it will positively impact refugees in the future.