Refugees in Pakistan are mostly engaged in unskilled jobs such as daily labour, garbage collection and domestic help despite their positive working attitudes and social cohesion with the host community to a large extent. Poor financial capacity prevents the refugees from being able to learn marketable skills, limiting their ability to find jobs in the labour market and/or develop sustainable livelihoods. In terms of legal constrains, The Proof of Registration (PoR) cards issued by the Government of Pakistan entitle Afghan refugees to a temporary stay in Pakistan (linked to the validity of the card). The cards do not confer any rights beyond the temporary stay and refugees have not been granted the right to work by the Government of Pakistan through any official documentation or decree. However, refugees’ engagement in the informal labour market has been largely tolerated. At the same time, informal income generation exposes refugees - as well as Pakistani citizens, many of whom also work informally - to risks of exploitation and abuse, in particular, women and children. Refugees also have a legal barrier to register a business, obtain a driver’s license or own property in Pakistan. As a result, many refugees are unable to meet their basic needs and live a dignified life. Low income furthermore negatively impacts health, education and food security and adversely affects refugees’ ability to sustainably repatriate to their countries of origin. As part of UNHCR’s efforts to address these challenges, UNHCR will continue to provide livelihoods support to refugees across Pakistan, focusing on a) empowering youth through vocational and skill training including artisanal skill training targeting women from both refugees and host community, b) building resilience of refugee families through poverty graduation projects, c) mitigating impact of drought through construction of rain water harvesting ponds, d) enhancing food security through kitchen garden approach in collaboration with FAO in Balochistan, and e) investing and developing partnership with private sector to capitalize on their established linkage to the market (i.e. the Uber Transportation Network Company and artisan craft). In total 3,500 male and female youths (including Pakistani nationals in order to promote social cohesion) are planned to benefit from these interventions and enhance their self-reliance. Provided sufficient funds are received above the operating level, the Safe from the Start initiative will also be continued, aiming at further enhancing SGBV sensitization and mitigation measures through targeted economic empowerment and life-skills training of 100 vulnerable women.
Advocacy and close coordination with the Government of Pakistan will continue to be an important component of activities, particularly, capitalizing the favourable protection environment for refugees with the current government in place, which set a milestone of allowing refugees to open bank accounts in 2019. A close partnership with the Government is expected to contribute to including refugees in the training initiative organized by the Government including cross-sectoral project such as training of paramedics in health sector. UNHCR will also continue to strengthen its collaboration with other UN agencies both in Pakistan and Afghanistan in order to enhance cross-border livelihood programming.