Pakistani Christian asylum seekers are being targeted by the UNHCR through ‘disturbing’ policy change

A process change by the UNHCR based in Bangkok that seems to deliberately target Pakistani Christians who make up the largest body of asylum seekers in
Thailand, has caused alarm and consternation amongst the advocacy and humanitarian groups providing aid to them.

The policy has been described as ‘disturbing’ by an on the ground campaigner , who has also stated
that the change in policy ‘disproportionately affects Pakistani Christians, since they are the largest refugee population here in Bangkok, and are more likely than most refugees to have their application for refugee status rejected.’



The new policy has drastically reduced the time that asylum seekers have to file a notice of appeal. The deadline for filing appeal documents has been
reduced from 90 to 30 days.

To make matters worse the UNHCR has also determined that they will no longer communicate any reasons for refusal in their own language. Previously, the
asylum seekers’ refusal was read to them in their own language. From now on, asylum seekers will only receive their refusal letter in English.

Together, these new policies place a devastating burden on asylum seekers already dealing with the emotional trauma of a rejection.  

The re-persecution of Pak-Christians is no new phenomena.On
their arrival at Thailand they soon discover they are unwanted when their travel visa expires and they apply for asylum at the UNHCR. Here they are advised
that despite having an official UN asylum registration, Thailand’s refusal to sign UN conventions on asylum means that their status is illegal.  The
7000 or more

Pak-Christians in Thailand
are being arrested and detained in the brutal Immigration Detention Centres of Bangkok. Here food paucity, cell cramming, and the spread of infection is
debilitating the Christian community. 

Watch BBC Documentary on Pak Christian asylum seekers in Thailand (click here)

Pakistani Embassy not willing to help it’s Christian citizens despite acknowledging their failures!

With morale and confidence at their lowest ebb, many Pakistani Christians are seeking a return home.  The obvious rejection in Thailand is forcing
them to accept a lifetime of fear, abuse and persecution in their homeland.  The UN has a scheme in operation that will pay for flights and provides
a $1000 grant to those who choose to return, however waiting lists for this service are burgeoning and delays can be up to two years.  In the meanwhile
many asylum seekers are starving as the Royal Thai government clamps down in illegal working.

To help ease the suffering of those who want to return Wilson Chowdhry, Chairman of the British Pakistani Christian Association met with the Third Secretary at the Pakistani Embassy in Thailand.
 During discussions Mr Kamran Dhangal accepted that Pakistan as a nation had failed it’s Christian minority.  He expressed in no uncertain terms
that all citizens of Pakistan in Thailand would be treated equally and fairly. He described an international fund provided by the Pakistani Foreign Office
to care for and support their international communities.  Funds were available for serious medical conditions that could be proven by a visit to patients
admitted to hospital and invoices from the hospital, he also advised that in special circumstances of financial deprivation repatriation fees for dead
bodies and the cost of the flight for return of the dead body could be provided.  

Kamran Dhungal explained to us how he visited the Immigration Detention Centre (IDC) every week, trying to persuade Pakistani Christians that they should
return home. He yielded little success and we explained this was due to a mistrust in promises made by the Government.  We offered to assist and approached
families both inside and outside the IDC.  We encouraged those with family members in the IDC to return home for the health of the victims in the
IDC, we were surprised at the take up.  Quite clearly the attrition of the triumvirate of UNHCR, Royal Thai Government and Pakistani Government has
withered away the Pak-Christian resolve.  Caught in a quandary they simply want to return home to the ‘devil they know’.  We provided a list
of around 20 victims and asked for help towards financing the fare of their return to Pakistan.  Sadly the Pakistani Embassy refused.  This was
painful as in our discussions with Mr Dhangal an offer for flights for those asylum seekers detained in the IDC was guaranteed. Moreover the Pakistani
Government had given us a name for a Royal Thai Government RTG) official who had previously stated to the Pakistani High Commission that such fares would
be covered by RTG.  

We have since received an email from a Mr Puchphop Mongkolnavin a minister at the Thai Embassy in London, who has met with us and has been exchanging regular
emails with us.  He has agreed to look into the possibility of financing the flights for Pak-Christian asylum seekers desiring a return home. This
is now our only feasible option and would be an extremely magnanimous gesture by the Roya Thai Government.

It became quite obvious to us that despite the existing citizenship for Pakistan which is not revoked during the asylum process, the Government of Pakistan
will not assist their Christian community. In order to understand the situation better Wilson Chowdhry has sought a freedom of Information request.  He
has asked for evidence that compares the number of Pakistani Muslim grant recipients towards medical costs, repatriations and return flight costs, against
similar recipients from the Christian and other Pakistani minorities in Thailand.  The Embassy has failed to respond.  We have written a complaint
to the 108 emails registered on the Overseas Pakistani officers and partners directory, so far one diplomat from Saudi Arabia has responded and suggested
we contact others on that list. Unfortunately we have got no further through this line of inquiry.

Wilson Chowdhry has been a long term campaigner for better UNHCR modus operandi towards the suffering Pak-Christian asylum seekers, who continue to face
a previously inconceivable rejection by the international community.  Western nations ignore their plight due to a belief that the laws and practices
in Pakistan, are equal, fair and practicable.  Yet in the last four years Christians in Pakistan have been targeted in 4 bomb attacks by Islamic militant
groups. A fact that has yet to register with the UN who continue to delay Pak-Christian refugee determination for periods of up to 7 years, despite having received a 300,000 euro grant from the European Commision,
that has resulted in the hiring of additional assessors. The BPCA has no idea who is being expedited through the deployment of additional officers.  We
can say with some certainty however that it is not Pakistani Christians.

The bias shown by the UNHCR towards Pakistani Christians is mirrored by many western nations.The shocking revelation in 2014 that an estimated 700 Christian girls were being kidnapped, raped and forced into Islamic marriage, has
done little to dent the American or British Government mindset,who believe Pakistan is an ally and a force for good in the Middle-East. All three nations
are fighting a war against terror against the ‘real extremists’ after all. We as a group would question Pakistan’s commitment to this partnership especially
regarding the need for a covert American operation to finally exterminate Bin Ladin. We find Pakistan’s commitment to their Christian citizens is equally
questionable.

Sadly Christian NGO’s believe the figures provided for the abduction and forced marriage of Christian girls is at least double the 700 quoted, by Muslim
NGO ‘Movement of Solidarity and Peace’. Moreover, the marriage laws that international experts believe are there to protect innocent Christian girls, are
actually being used to retain them in forced marriages – contravening the belief that the legal system of Pakistan is fair and proving it is more equal
if you are a Muslim.

More insidiously there seems to be growing evidence that the plight of Christians from across the globe are being ignored by western nations despite an
obvious genocide. Britain’s own home office policy was questionedafter
it came to light that refusals were based on much ridiculed mechanisms for assessing an asylum applicants Christianity. This latest move by the UNHCR in
Thailand evidences that Christians simply are no longer welcome anywhere.  BPCA are calling for western nations to review this treatment of Christians
and to create a place of sanctuary for them.

Wilson Chowdhry, Chairman of the BPCA, said:

“Pakistani Christians find themselves in a nadir, they are not wanted by their home nation because their faith makes them ritually impure, the equivalent of a demon. They cannot seek asylum in the west as Christians are not welcome there anymore, and they face definite re-persecution in Bhuddist, Hindu and other Muslim nations – if they can even get there. The international community needs to think long and hard on this issue, persecution for Christians across the globe is increasing rapidly. To stem the tide a sanctuary has to be declared for them.”

British Pakistani Christian Association is asking concerned individuals to help asylum seekers in Pakistan.  Way you can help include:

Signing this petition for the UNHCR -BPCA will email this to Peter Trotter Senior Protection Oficer (click here)
Signing this petition for the Pakistan Embassy in Thailand – to be sent to all contacts on Overseas Pakistani Commission database (click here)
We encourage you to contact BOTH UNHCR Geneva, and UNHCR Bangkok. The best way to address mail to Bangkok is:

UNHCR Regional Representative in Thailand
ATTN: Ms. Ruvendrini Menikdiwela
P.O. Box 2-121, 10200 Bangkok, Thailand

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)