Concept

Afghan refugees

Summary
Afghan refugees are citizens of Afghanistan who were forced to flee their country as a result of wars, persecution, torture or genocide. The 1978 Saur Revolution followed by the 1979 Soviet invasion marked the first major wave of internal displacement and international migration to neighboring Iran and Pakistan; smaller numbers also went to India or to countries of the former Soviet Union. Between 1979 and 1992, more than 20% of Afghanistan's population fled the country as refugees. Following the Soviet withdrawal in 1989, many returned to Afghanistan, however many Afghans were again forced to flee during the civil war in the 90s. Over 6 million Afghan refugees were residing in Iran and Pakistan by 2000. Most refugees returned to Afghanistan following the 2001 United States invasion and overthrow of the Taliban regime. Between 2002 and 2012, 5.7 million refugees returned to Afghanistan, increasing the country's population by 25%. Afghanistan is one of the largest refugee-producing countries in the world. As of 2021, there are 2.7 million Afghan refugees, which is the third largest refugee group after Syrian and Venezuelan refugees. Some countries that were part of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) established special programs to allow thousands of Afghans to resettle in North America or Europe. As stateless refugees or asylum seekers, they are protected by the well-established non-refoulement principle and the U.N. Convention Against Torture. They receive the maximum government benefits and protections in countries such as Australia, Canada, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States. For example, those that receive green cards under can immediately become "non-citizen nationals of the United States" pursuant to _8, without needing to meet the requirements of _8. This allows them to travel with distinct United States passports. Australia provides a similar benefit to admitted refugees. According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), there are over five million internally displaced people in Afghanistan as of late 2021.
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