ADSP Expert Commentary #2: Rethinking Durable Solutions in Peri-Urban Areas in Pakistan
By Dr Sanaa Alimia, Aga Khan University (International), Institute for the Study of Muslim Civilisations
An estimated three to four million Afghans live in Pakistan, mainly in urban areas. These Afghans fall into different legal categories. This paper centres on Afghan registered refugees and undocumented migrants, who form the bulk of the Afghan population in Pakistan and are almost exclusively the populations living in the areas this paper is concerned with i.e. those in urban and peri-urban areas, informal housing areas (slums), and refugee tented villages (RTVs).
This paper proposes, first, that Afghans should be better legally integrated into Pakistan and, second, that spaces must urgently be integrated – referring to the areas within which Afghans live. By integrating RTVs and informal housing in peri-urban areas, as part of Pakistan’s urban planning and disaster management and climate change plans, refugees would be much better placed to access long-term solutions.
The full expert commentary can be found here.
This commentary is part of the ADSP Expert Commentary Series that – in partnership with Samuel Hall and leading experts and academic institutions – seeks to analyse under-explored elements of protracted displacement on the Afghanistan displacement axis.