ISLAMABAD (Online) - Afghans living in Pakistan would have to shift their status from refugee to immigrants with relevant visas by next year as per the latest government decision. This was revealed by UNHCR Spokesperson Duniya Aslam Khan in an exclusive interview with Online on Sunday. Government of Pakistan has decided to provide an alternate steering to the Afghans living here as refuges since 1979, she said. Unlike the past, the repatriation process of the refugees would continue for entire year, she added referring the annual halt in winter from October to March in practice so far. The spokesperson said that in accordance with the decision of Pakistani cabinet, Afghan refugees would lose their status as refugees after 2012 in Pakistan and would have to get visas under different classes and categories. She said that those Afghan refugees that have invested in various sectors of Pakistans economy would be issued long-term business visas. On the other hand students studying in Pakistani institutions would be facilitated to complete their education under relevant visas. She further said that the government has also constituted five committees to handle the issue of Afghan refugees with extra-care. These committees would manage the transition especially for those on permanent engagements in Pakistan and cannot go back, at once. That is why she added the government of Pakistan has envisaged some other visas categories to cater to the skilled as well as unskilled Afghans working here since their status as refugees, she said. Duniya Khan said the process of repatriation of Afghan refugees from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan has been expedited and it was decided that earlier breaks during winter season would not be observed this year. The spokesperson said that in order to facilitate refugees returning to their homes, UNHCR had established Repatriation Centres in Chamkani, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Quetta, Balochistan. UNHCR provides 150 US dollars per head to refugees who voluntarily want to return to Afghanistan. The cash covers transportation costs and resources, and are provided to them to facilitate a week without any work in Afghanistan after their return, she said. She also informed that UNHCR had introduced computerized identification system and a refugee is facilitated one time for repatriation. She, nevertheless, clarified that so far government of Pakistan had expressed no intention to deport any Afghan not having a valid visa after 2012. So, I would only say that the status of the refugees would be changed and it is not evident as whether they would be treated as foreigners or not, she replied to a question. She added that even after 2012 certain people from Afghanistan who lacked resources or were under treatment in various health facilities in Pakistan would be treated as refugees, by international standards. She also informed that UNHCR was aware of the Pakistani government decision that those Afghan women who have no male as family head can live forever as Pakistani citizen, About 3.7 million Afghan refugees since 2002-03 were facilitated to return to Afghanistan but 1.7 million Afghan refugees are still residing in parts of Pakistan. According to UNHCR 45, 000 refugees were repatriated in 2011.