Forced Migration in the OIC Member Countries:
Policy Framework Adopted by Host Countries
52
percent of seasonal labor migrants from Afghanistan cited Iran as their destination, while 12
percent cited Pakistan and 8 percent cited countries in the Arabian Peninsula.201
On the move for better protection and economic opportunities: Migration flows from
South Central Asia beyond the region
While many refugees and asylum seekers in the region have sought protection in neighboring
states, some have treated these countries of first asylum as transit points for destinations
further abroad. Afghans have transited through Pakistan to reach Iran, as border controls
between Iran and Afghanistan are more strictly managed than those between Iran and
Pakistan.202 Many forced migrants from the region have also used various countries, including
Iran, Iraq, and Afghanistan as transit countries to reach destinations further afield, such as the
Gulf countries, Turkey, Europe, and the United States.203
Motivations for onward movements can be mixed, just like the initial decision to migrate.
Some Afghan refugees who migrated to Europe have cited deplorable conditions in Iran,
including government harassment, lack of livelihood opportunities, and coercion into joining
pro-government armed forces in Syria, as reasons for fleeing.204 Afghan forced migrants in
Pakistan have recently begun to return to Afghanistan following the government
announcement that, after extending the deadline several times, their legal residence will be
terminated on March 31, 2017.205 Afghans have travelled in significant numbers through
various countries along the Mediterranean Route to seek safety and better economic or
educational opportunities in the West.206
Migrants from Pakistan have also been motivated to seek refuge abroad, primarily for
economic reasons, adding to the mixed nature of migration flows. In 2015, over 5,000
Pakistanis applied for asylum in Hungary, Italy, Serbia and Kosovo, and Germany. However,
according to UNHCR, only 16 percent of Pakistani asylum applications resulted in applicants
being afforded refugee status, suggesting that most moved for economic reasons.207
Some Afghan forced migrants have also travelled north for protection in Russia or the former
Soviet republics. As transportation infrastructure has improved, cross-border movement
between Tajikistan and Afghanistan has increased and is expected to continue – as of 2014,
1,975 Afghani refugees had been registered in Tajikistan.208 Cultural and linguistic similarities
have helped Afghans assimilate to life in Tajikistan,.209 Other Afghan asylum seekers have used
201 Ibid.
202 Asia-Pacific RCM Thematic Working Group, Situation Report on Migration in South and South-west Asia, 26
203 Asia-Pacific RCM Thematic Working Group, Situation Report on Migration in South and South-west Asia.
204 Patrick Strickland, “Why are Afghan refugees leaving Iran?” Al Jazeera, May 17, 2016,
205 Tahir Khan, “Government extends Afghan refugees’ stay until early 2017,” The Express Tribune, September 9, 2016,
206 Frud Bezhan, “European Dream Unfulfilled for Afghan ‘Economic Migrants,’” Radio Free Europe, March 9, 2016,
Tan Cetin, “Pakistani
Migrants Hope for Better Future in Europe, Too,” Voice of America , September 22, 2015,
and Imtiaz Ahmad,
From Pakistan to Europe: A refugee's endless journey,” Deutsche Welle, April 29, 2015,
207 UNHCR, Global Trends: Forced Displacement in 2015.
208 Data retrieved from UNHCR, “Population Statistics”
209 However, the legal framework for refugees in Tajikistan does not meet the standards of the 1951 Convention, and other
informal barriers to integration such as discrimination continue to leave Afghans in a precarious position. Jeremie Berlioux,
“Tajikistan: Afghan Refugees in Limbo, Adapt to Staying Put,” January 12, 2016,