{"id":40240,"date":"2023-12-26T21:12:05","date_gmt":"2023-12-26T21:12:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/racism-and-refugee-status-afghan-students-overcome-educational-roadblocks-in-pakistan\/"},"modified":"2023-12-26T21:12:05","modified_gmt":"2023-12-26T21:12:05","slug":"racism-and-refugee-status-afghan-students-overcome-educational-roadblocks-in-pakistan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/racism-and-refugee-status-afghan-students-overcome-educational-roadblocks-in-pakistan\/","title":{"rendered":"Racism and refugee status: Afghan students overcome educational roadblocks in Pakistan"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The minute I step into the land of Afghanistan, a place they think is \u2018my home\u2019, I would be killed because of the art I make.&#8221;<\/p>\n<div dir=\"auto\">\n<p>\u201cMugging incidents have increased significantly ever since you guys migrated here.\u201d Twenty-year-old Kazim* recalls hearing these words throughout his life in Pakistan.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI can\u2019t tell you the amount of times I have heard this sentence. This is just one example of the casual racism we face on a daily basis, that too from our friends,\u201d said the freshman, enrolled in one of Karachi\u2019s renowned private institutions.<\/p>\n<p>Kazim\u2019s parents came to Pakistan as refugees. While his parents are now documented refugees and Kazim a citizen of Pakistan, the government\u2019s decision to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/1779106\/govt-sets-deadline-of-nov-1-for-illegal-immigrants-to-leave-pakistan\">expel \u2018illegal\u2019 Afghan refugees<\/a> has caused immense psychological and physical suffering among the Afghan community in Pakistan, thousands of whom have been made to leave. Those left behind now face an uncertain future.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"media  w-full  w-full  media--stretch  media--embed  media--uneven\">\n<p>    <iframe class=\"nk-iframe\" onload=\"setInterval(()=&gt;{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+'px';}catch{}}, 100)\" width=\"100%\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" style=\"height:400px;position:relative\" src=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/card\/1787507\" sandbox=\"allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<h2><a id=\"feeling-unwelcome\" href=\"#feeling-unwelcome\" class=\"heading-permalink\" aria-hidden=\"true\" title=\"Permalink\"\/>Feeling unwelcome<\/h2>\n<p>For the vast majority of Afghan citizens and refugees in Pakistan, racial slurs and comments are a common occurrence. In my conversations with Afghan students across the country, the one thing they spoke about over and over again was the lack of belonging they felt in Pakistan.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen I was young, the kids in my neighbourhood would not play with me,\u201d reminisced Kazim. \u201cThe hatred in their minds was planted by the elders in their families. One of the most traumatising experiences I had involved me being thrown in the trash because according to [the bullies], this was my future.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Like most Afghan students in Pakistan, Kazim is viewed as an \u2018illegal\u2019 refugee despite his legal status. In his own words, \u201cRegardless of my efforts, I\u2019m always seen as just a refugee. I get blamed for everything that is wrong with this city. People would jump at the opportunity to deport me and my family if they could, even though all we\u2019ve done is live peacefully.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe very first time I was subjected to racism due to my origin was when I was just eight years old. I walked into class one day and realised I had forgotten my notebook that had my homework in it at home. I walked up to my teacher to seek help and she said \u2018As a punishment, I\u2019d send you back to your country where your rulers would break your bones\u2019 and started laughing. I was horrified. I came home crying and my mother recalls that I did not eat anything the entire day.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"media  w-full  w-full  media--stretch  media--embed  media--uneven\">\n<p>    <iframe class=\"nk-iframe\" onload=\"setInterval(()=&gt;{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+'px';}catch{}}, 100)\" width=\"100%\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" style=\"height:400px;position:relative\" src=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/card\/1788169\" sandbox=\"allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p>Since the first call to expel illegal refugees in Pakistan, law enforcement agencies have been harassing and raiding the homes of Afghan families. Out of fear, Kazim\u2019s family has been keeping their documents out in the open to ensure they are readily available in case of a raid. \u201cWe\u2019ve been keeping all our documents on our drawing room table to show them proof that we \u2018belong\u2019 here, even though they have never accepted us as one of their own,\u201d said Kazim.<\/p>\n<h2><a id=\"the-refugee-barrier-to-education\" href=\"#the-refugee-barrier-to-education\" class=\"heading-permalink\" aria-hidden=\"true\" title=\"Permalink\"\/>The refugee barrier to education<\/h2>\n<p>Fatima*, a 23-year-old student from a renowned medical college in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has a similar story to tell. \u201cMy facial features, loudly proclaiming my Afghan identity have exposed me to intense racism, pushing me to seek therapy. The psychological toll became unbearable. I never truly felt like I \u2018belonged\u2019 here, despite my parents always emphasising that we are indebted to Pakistan for giving us shelter.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Fatima is a bright student and a documented refugee in Pakistan. With her top-notch educational record and ambition, she dreamed of becoming a psychiatrist. Despite ranking among the top 10 students in her class, her refugee status has deprived her of a scholarship.<\/p>\n<p>Additionally, she also had to take a year off from her education due to documentation issues \u2014 a major setback in her academic trajectory. \u201cThe documentation issues during the admission process are on another level. It takes a toll on your mental health because you have to get them attested from multiple places, and at each place, you have to prove that you\u2019re a documented refugee. Then, you have to get yourself registered for the entry test which is another mentally draining procedure. For people like me, it is better if we don\u2019t get any education at all because they just keep interrupting the process,\u201d she said, her voice breaking with emotion.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cKnowing everything, I kept my documents ready way before the Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT) was announced in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. I was aware that my documentation procedure would take longer than other students and I was determined to defeat the system. The registrations were open for 15 days, and I was in the office to get my documents checked on the very first day. They kept my documents for \u2018authentication\u2019 and \u2018double checking\u2019 \u2014 their words, not mine \u2014 but they did not send them forward. As a result, I was not registered for the MDCAT,\u201d she explained.<\/p>\n<p>Missing out on the entrance exam in 2019 meant that Fatima had to wait an entire year for the next cycle. The stress from this situation was so overwhelming that she had to seek therapy to process and deal with it. During our brief conversation, she had to pause nearly three times to keep herself from breaking down.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEven after a year of torture, my suffering did not end. After getting into the medical school of my choice, I was not \u2018eligible\u2019 for a merit-based scholarship. Is it even a surprise that the reason was my \u2018refugee\u2019 status? My educational records were exceptional. Even now my scores are great, but since my sole identity is a country my parents migrated from, I am deprived of my basic rights,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>She recalled the micro-aggressions Afghan refugees face on a daily basis. \u201cWhen they look at our faces, they think that we were either born to cook their bread or to clean their streets; we don\u2019t deserve to study in their universities or even dare to imagine having a life similar to theirs,\u201d Fatima said.<\/p>\n<p>Among the pool of exceptionally talented Afghan students is Shayan*, a fine arts student who gained birthright citizenship in Pakistan. The 22-year-old green-eyed boy says he puts all his pain into hues and shades \u2014 his art reflects the suffering he has endured in this country.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cVery recently, a friend and I went out for a drive. On the way he jokingly said, \u2018So should I drop you off at the detention centre or will you go yourself?\u2019<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI was horrified by his words. Even though I knew I was not going to be detained, I just wanted to get out of that car. These are the kind of jokes I have been hearing from my \u2018friends\u2019 for as long as I can remember,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>Art degrees are <a rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"link--external\" href=\"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/culture\/2023\/12\/01\/afghanistans-artists-and-cultural-heritage-are-on-the-brink-of-obliteration#:~:text=In%20the%20visual%20arts%2C%20the,sought%20to%20leave%20the%20country.\">no longer offered widely<\/a> since the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan in 2021. In Kabul University alone, the number of majors offered in the arts department has gone down from <a rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"link--external\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theartnewspaper.com\/2023\/07\/07\/how-afghanistans-art-degrees-are-disappearing\">eight to two<\/a>. Existing art degrees too face restrictions and regulations, shifting focus to more Islamic art and calligraphy, leaving students with limited options to hone their skills. This is in addition to the <a rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"link--external\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world-asia-64045497\">blanket ban<\/a> on women <a rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"link--external\" href=\"https:\/\/www.voanews.com\/a\/taliban-ban-afghan-girls-from-university-entrance-exam-\/6938220.html\">attending universities<\/a> put in place by the Taliban in December 2022.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"media  w-full  w-full  media--stretch  media--embed  media--uneven\">\n<p>    <iframe class=\"nk-iframe\" onload=\"setInterval(()=&gt;{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+'px';}catch{}}, 100)\" width=\"100%\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" style=\"height:400px;position:relative\" src=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/card\/1729951\" sandbox=\"allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p>\u201cI have been told multiple times by my teachers, friends, even strangers that I should go back to my country. The minute I step into the land of Afghanistan, a place they think is \u2018my home\u2019, I would be killed because of the art I make. My guitar would be buried with me in the grave, and for years people will tell tales of a sinner who was killed because he dared to go against the morals. Now, you tell me, do you hate me so much that you would throw me into a hell like that?\u201d he questioned.<\/p>\n<h2><a id=\"policies-and-subject-choices\" href=\"#policies-and-subject-choices\" class=\"heading-permalink\" aria-hidden=\"true\" title=\"Permalink\"\/>Policies and subject choices<\/h2>\n<p>According to the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan, roughly 5,000 students are currently registered in public colleges and universities in Pakistan under the refugee quota. Additionally, some public universities allocate admissions through a foreign student quota, with specific reserved seats for Afghan students based on the majors they select.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cUsually, we have Afghan students enrolled in either liberal arts majors such as communication and design, fine arts or music, or science majors such as computer science. When we ask them why they are choosing this particular major in admission interviews, a common answer we hear is:  \u2018Because we can\u2019t pursue this back home\u2019,\u201d said a student adviser from a private university in Karachi.<\/p>\n<p>Speaking to <em>Dawn<\/em>, a foreign student adviser at Karachi University said, \u201cWe have around 150 Afghan students enrolled in the University of Karachi and they mostly opt for social science courses. In our gender studies class, we have around 20 Afghan students who will be graduating in the current batch.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Despite the systemic hurdles and racism they face, Afghan students are striving to create a better life for themselves; to study what they are passionate about, to make a change, and to study freely, like any other student in Pakistan. While Afghan students move forward, it\u2019s about time Pakistan catches up.<\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<p>*<em>Names have been changed to protect the identity of students.<\/em><\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<p><em><strong>Header image: Children of Afghan refugees attend a class in their school at an Afghan refugee camp in Lahore in October 2013. \u2014 Photo by Murtaza Ali\/Shutterstock<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;The minute I step into the land of Afghanistan, a place they think is \u2018my home\u2019, I would be killed because of the art I make.&#8221; \u201cMugging incidents have increased significantly ever since you guys migrated here.\u201d Twenty-year-old Kazim* recalls hearing these words throughout his life in Pakistan. \u201cI can\u2019t tell you the amount of [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":40241,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center 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