Pakistan becomes largest host of refugees: UNHCR

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ISLAMABAD, April 17 (TNS): The United Nations High Commission for Refugees has said that Pakistan is home to the largest refugee population in the world, according to a report published by the international body.

UNHCR in a press release said that Pakistan is hosting the largest number of refugees globally, which number more than 1.45 million in the country, and most of them hail from Afghanistan.

The report added that Pakistan unconditionally hosted millions of refugees and provided best possible facilities to affected people of different countries.

It praised Pakistan for giving special treatment for Afghan citizens when the Afghan war was on its peak. 1.45 million of them still live in Pakistan, the report noted.

Pakistan has continued hosting Afghan refugees for more than three decades, it added.

Similarly, the voluntary repatriation of Afghan refugees from Pakistan to their own country was also the largest in the world, the report stated.

Since March 2002, UNHCR has facilitated the return of approximately 4.1 million registered Afghans from Pakistan, it underlined.