South Asia Monitor: The Refugee Problem: Looking Toward Afghanistan's Long-Term Stability - December 10, 2008

By Teresita C. Schaffer, Elizabeth Parker (former intern-South Asia Program)

Contributors Vibhuti Hate

Dec 10, 2008

Nearly three decades after the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan sent some 3.5 million refugees into exile in Pakistan, nearly 2 million are still there. The refugees’ own meager assets, lack of education and skills, compounded by Afghanistan’s lack of infrastructure to accommodate returnees, have made returning an unattractive option. The refugees represent a political and economic strain on Pakistan today; if they return, they will add to the stresses in Afghanistan. The result is a continuing policy problem for the United States.

Publisher CSIS

Programs
South Asia Program

Topics
Demography, Reconstruction and Development