Basira Mahbubi, a women’s rights activist from Afghanistan and now a refugee in Islamabad, Pakistan, in an interview with Kauser News Agency, said: that Afghan women face highly challenging conditions here. Many of these women have lost their husbands during wars and explosions over the past twenty years and are now immigrants in this country, living without male support.
According to Ms. Mahbubi, women in this country face various issues, including unemployment, economic weakness, lack of visas, mental and psychological illnesses, despair, and uncertainty.
She added, “Afghan migrants cannot afford their children’s monthly school fees. Consequently, Afghan children cannot continue their elementary education. Hence, Pakistan is no longer a haven for refugees.”
When asked about the fundamental problems that children face in this country, Ms. Mahbubi explained, “Another issue affecting the education and upbringing of Afghan migrant children is that most of our children lack passports and visas required to enroll in Pakistani government schools. Without these documents, they cannot access government schools.”
Ms. Mahbubi said that some Afghan children who start their education in Pakistani government schools still face significant environmental, language, and cultural challenges.
Regarding the educational centers established by Afghans in Pakistan, she remarked, “The centers established by Afghans have a basic structure and cannot be expected to provide professional or standardized education. These centers assist children in the early stages of education, but they cannot address the issues faced by our children in higher levels of education.”
Basira Mahbubi requested receiving countries and organizations facilitating migration to find solutions for Afghan migrants facing numerous problems in Pakistan. She urged them to find ways to transfer these war-affected individuals to safe countries so that their children do not suffer and can secure promising futures.
