In the absence of a national asylum framework, UNHCR will continue to register asylum-seekers as a protection tool and conduct refugee status determination under its mandate when required to facilitate durable solutions or protection interventions, and will continue to provide material assistance to those found to be particularly vulnerable. The Government of Afghanistan has yet to enact the National Asylum Law in 2020. Therefore, UNHCR will continue to advocate with the Government for the enactment of the law. Furthermore, UNHCR will work with line ministries and partners to enable refugees and asylum-seekers to fully access to basic services such as education, health care and formal employment opportunities. In the absence of a legal framework enabling refugees and asylum-seekers to access to the formal labour market, UNHCR will continue to provide critical financial assistance to the vulnerable population. Moreover, UNHCR will engage in activities to build self-reliance of the refugees and asylum-seekers through community-based programmes and other innovative approaches.
UNHCR closed its office in Khost in June 2019. Although it was initially anticipated that the provincial authorities in Khost and Paktika would assume responsibility for the Pakistani refugee population in southeast Afghanistan, this was not immediately possible. As a result, in accord with its mandate, UNHCR re-introduced the Refugee Chapter in the HRP revision and enhanced support to the Government to ensure continuity of protection and assistance to the refugee population, who are particularly vulnerable due to their lack of legal status in Afghanistan. This support was particularly critical in the context of the COVID-19, which had a pronounced impact on the refugee population’s food security and debt levels. UNHCR will continue to support the Refugee Chapter in 2021 and plans to prioritize interventions on behalf of the refugee population until a responsible handover to the Government is possible.