UN lauds Pakistan on completion of maiden smart card registration of Afghan refugees

The United Nations (UN) has lauded Pakistan for the successful completion of the first-ever smart card registration of Afghan refugees.

The campaign, supported by UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), was launched on April 15 last year and ended on December 31.

The documentation renewal and information verification exercise, officially known as DRIVE, also provided the refugees with smart identity cards. Over 40 verification sites were operational across Pakistan during DRIVE, while mobile registration vans facilitated Afghan refugees living in remote areas.

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In a report, UNHCR said that Pakistan completed the first-ever drive to verify data of around 1.4 million on-the-move Afghan refugees in the current week. Those who have been registered also include over 200,000 children under five years of age, it added.

It was the first large-scale verification of refugees in Pakistan over the past 10 years.

UNHCR Spokesperson Babar Baloch said, “More than 700,000 new smart identity cards have been issued to date. The remaining cards will be printed and distributed in early 2022.”

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He explained, “More detailed information about refugees’ socioeconomic data will allow for better-tailored assistance in Pakistan and for support in case refugees decide to return home, when conditions allow.”

The biometric cards will remain valid until June 30, 2023, and are technologically compatible with systems used in Pakistan to authenticate the identities of nationals.