The office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees was established on 14th December 1950 by the U.N. General Assembly. The agency is mandated to lead and coordinate international action to protect refugees and resolve refugee problems worldwide. Its primary purpose is to safeguard the rights and well being of refugees. It strives to ensure that everyone can exercise the right to seek asylum and find safe refuge in another state, with the option to return home voluntarily, integrate locally or to resettle in a third country. As humanitarian crises have become more complex UNHCR has expanded both the number and types of organizations it works with. Which include more than 570 non-governmental organizations. UNHCR’s efforts are mandated by the organization’s statute, and guided by the 1951 United Nations Convention relating to the status of refugees and its 1967 Protocol. International refugee law provides an essential framework of principals for UNHCR’s humanitarian activities. In Pakistan Refugees and Asylum seekers (Afghan & Non Afghan) have no access to any form of free legal assistance on their status and durable solutions. SHARP, as an implementing partner of UNHCR has contributed in extending legal protection to Afghan refugees and Non-Afghan asylum seekers by registering their claims for Refugee Status Determination (RSD) in accordance with procedural standards of registration under the UNHCR mandate. Since 1999 the UNHCR-BOI has assigned SHARP with responsibility to register Afghan and Non-Afghan refugees/asylum seekers within Pakistan. SHARP has performed the responsibility with dedication and commitment and is currently implementing the project with competent team of lawyers and interpreters who are well versed with the subject of Refugee Protection. Partnership between UNHCR and SHARP is aimed to provide legal protection to Afghan refugees and Non-Afghan asylum seekers.

COUNSELING OF REFUGEES/ASYLUM SEEKERS

Under the same project SHARP is facilitating the refugees in terms of counseling regarding their cases decision. This additional task was entrusted with the Legal Assistance Project in February 2005 by the UNHCR. SHARP is also extending its services to beneficiary population who are in need of counseling about their status at any stage of their case. The LA staff guides the refugees and asylum seekers regarding their cases decision, meaning of appeal (in case of first instance rejection), procedure and how to file appeal.

ADVICE & LEGAL AID CENTER (ALAC)

In the year 2002 when the repatriation of Afghan Refugees was about to start, it was felt that some centers are required where returnees could get information about their country of origin before moving back to Afghanistan. The other core objective was to help returnees in their Legal and Protection issues. To serve the purpose SHARP was assigned to establish Advice and Legal Aid Centers in Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Mianwali and Karachi. All these centers are actively rendering services and so far thousands of refugees have benefited from these centers by seeking advice and Legal Aid. These centers are also playing a vital role of bridging the communication gap between refugees and the concerned authorities, thus making them aware about the international legislative framework regarding refugee rights.

The basic strategic plan of SHARP’s ALAC centers includes early intervention, outreach activities and the provision of legal aid. The activities carried out in this connection include visits, coordination meetings, legal camps, seminars and workshops.

LEGAL CAMPS Under the ALAC project, SHARP is regularly arranging legal camps in refugee localities to provide legal assistance at the doorstep to refugee who are unable to register their grievances due to lack of resources, fear of police harassment or any other reason. Legal camps are arranged on monthly basis at different refugee populated settlements. SHARP hold’s this distinction and can proudly proclaim that SHARP is the pioneer of such legal camps.Legal camps encourage refugees to share their socio-legal problems with the team of lawyers. SHARP has so far provided legal assistance to thousands of refugees under this project.Legal camps are arranged keeping in view the problems of a particular refugee community and the lawyers during the camp put special emphasis on solving these problems. These legal camps are very successful and have brought very positive results, after organizing these legal camps feed back from the refugees is very positive as the legal camps along with solving the refugee related problems have proved helpful in sensitizing the local police about the refugee problems and the difficult circumstances they are going through.

REPATRIATION OF I-11 KACHI ABADI RESIDENTS

With the advent of August came a big change in the government policy. The Government of Pakistan issued a notification for the evacuation of the I-11 Kachi Abadi. The Kachi Abadi was the Mecca of the Afghani activity in Islamabad. With the issuance of the eviction notice a huge unrest among the Afghan refugees of the Kachi Abadi was seen. They were given two options by the Pakistani government, either to voluntarily repatriate or to relocate to some other area in Pakistan. Because of the operation going on in Kachi Abadi confusion and unrest could also be seen in Afghans living in other areas of Islamabad. ALAC played a vital role in helping the refugees in subduing and unraveling the confusion and unrest. UNHCR wanted SHARP to assist in the smooth running of the repatriation process well as providing proper guidance and information to the Afghan refugees of this locality. ALAC team facilitated UNHCR Repatriation team in compiling the data and sending the refugees back to their homeland. ALAC team gave legal advice to the repatriating families at the spot so as to assist in the repatriation procedure.