Programmes and Operations

Present Programmes

Pakistan

Resettlement Programming Continues

Resettlement Program incorporating Women at Risk (WAR) Program

Contact details:
Umaima Jubran,
OPE Program Director

Introduction

Under its Resettlement Program in Pakistan, ICMC deals with cases that the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has referred to the U.S. Embassy for resettlement in the United States, and which the embassy then passes on to ICMC.

The 1996 takeover of Afghanistan by the Islamic extremist regime of the Taliban gave rise to a host of new problems that women en bloc in a conflict situation had not previously confronted. Vulnerable women in Afghanistan faced gender specific concerns, which, when they fled to Pakistan as refugees, needed the creation of a special category to address their needs.

The UNHCR determines the status of each case; of which a large number are Women at Risk (WAR) cases. This status is not given to all women refugees but only to those who have no male protection and who, therefore, could become the victims of domestic violence, gender persecution, and other practices. Any female refugee who falls within these criteria receives this status; it is not reserved for just Afghan women but includes women in Pakistan who come from Iran, Iraq and Somalia.

The year 2003 saw a decline in the WAR cases referred to ICMC. This is primarily because of the shift in emphasis from resettlement to repatriation, but it does not undermine the role ICMC plays in the lives of the women involved. They are people who are unable to return to their own countries because of the cultural condemnation or 're-trauma' they may face upon return. Often, these women fear ostracization because of any social taboo they might have broken by the mere exercise of their fundamental rights. State and civil society have few mechanisms to safeguard and protect these women, and little inclination to offer any such assistance. These 'single' women face the challenge with remarkable resilience and it is this determination that sees them through the resettlement process. There will continue to be an urgent need to safeguard this group of females through the means of resettlement.

The Women at Risk program is accorded priority. It is sensitive to the risks faced by women because of social and political upheavals that have taken place inside their native countries. Women from all walks of life have been affected by traumatic and turbulent changes in their homelands. The Women at Risk are victims of social injustices. They are denied the opportunity of equal participation in the functions of the state, and deprived of their civil and social liberties. They are discriminated against and marginalized because of their gender. Women who fall under this category are mostly widows, or have missing husbands, or are single. They are exposed to many forms of gender violence and exploitation, including, among other things, sexual harassment, rape, domestic violence and political and ethnic persecution. Many have witnessed the brutal killing of male members of their families and have been left on their own or with dependants for whom to provide. Some have been victims of traditional practices, whereby they have been denied employment and kept locked in houses, or had other restrictions placed on their freedom to move around.

ICMC and the WAR Program

ICMC provides a quick and sensitive response to the women with whom it works. Cases are made ready for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) processing within three days of submission by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). The ICMC Director, based in Islamabad, routinely briefs her workers to pre-screen WAR cases with sensitivity, understanding and compassion.

ICMC maintains a policy of confidentiality in dealing with WAR clients to ensure the security of the women.

Statistical data

ICMC in Pakistan processed 242 cases involving 738 persons during 2003. Of these, ICMC presented 196 cases involving 600 persons to DHS, which approved 150 cases involving 453 persons.

WAR cases have a very high approval rate. In 2003, out of 112 WAR cases (351 persons), the U.S. authorities approved 99 cases (309 persons), including dependants, for resettlement. This is an 88% approval rate. Of the 309 people, 301 were Afghans, one was Iranian, three were Iraqis and four were Somalis.

Following two phases of downsizing in October 2003, and March 2004, the program now comes under the management of ICMC Turkey.