ISLAMABAD: Minister for State and Frontier Region (SAFRON) Engineer Shaukat Ullah Thursday said after the completion of volunteer repatriation of Afghan refugees by December 31, 2012, the status of the remaining refugees in Pakistan will be "illegal immigrants".

Talking to newsmen here at the Brazilian embassy where Brazil donates US# 250,000 for the repatriation programme of the refugees, the Minister said Pakistan government decided in 2010 that volunteer repatriation of the Afghan refugees will be completed by December 31, 2012.

Replying to a question about the status of Afghan refugees in Pakistan after December 31, 2012, the Minister said, "they will be treated as illegal immigrants according to the law of land of Pakistan."

Engineer Shaukat Ullah said, "The world is well aware that Pakistan has been a generous host of Afghan refugees for over three decades."

He said it is the largest displacement in the world for the longest period.

The Minister said, "All effort need to be put together by international community to resolve this protracted refugee situation in Pakistan.

He said the solution to this problem lies in Afghanistan through voluntary and sustainable repatriation and the major focus should be on rehabilitation and reconstruction in Afghanistan.

Appreciating the contribution of US$ 250,000 from Brazil for the repatriation of the Afghan refugees, the Minister said the other countries should also follow this generous contribution so that the refugees residing in camps for  the last three decades could reach to their homes to live honourable life.

The UNHCR representative for Pakistan Neil Wright said Pakistan continues to host approximately 1.74 million refugees, most are from Afghanistan and living in refugee villages and urban areas.

He said since March 2002, UNHCR has facilitated the return of approximately 3.7 million registered Afghans from Pakistan. In 2011, he said, nearly 34,000 Afghans had returned home.

Neil said for the first time, a quadripartite consultation process was initiated in 2011 to develop a multi-year solutions strategy (2012-2014) for Afghan refugees.

Replying to a question, he said, UNHCR and international community has been making efforts to provide basic needs of life to the Afghan refugees returning to their homeland.

Answering a question about the legal status of those Afghan refugees in Pakistan who will not returned to Afghanistan after the dead line of December 31, 2012, fixed by Pakistan for volunteer repatriation, the UNHCR Pakistan representative said according to international laws, they will be treated as refugees.

Replying to another question, he said, the children born inPakistan will be considered as "Afghan citizens" as they belong to Afghan refugees.

He said a number of issues are involved for the settlement of the Afghan refugees being repatriated which including shelter, land for farming, education and health facilities.

The UNHCR Pakistan representative appreciating the hospitality being extended to the Afghan refugees and added that it is a great contribution from the people and government of Pakistan.