THREE HUNDRED Afghan nationals who are awaiting resettlement in the United States arrived in the Philippines on Monday while US officials process their special immigrant visa applications, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and US Embassy in Manila.
“A limited number of Afghan nationals arrived in the Philippines today to complete the processing of their US special immigrant visas required for their immigration to the United States,” the DFA said in a statement.
“All applicants completed extensive security vetting by Philippine national security agencies and they also underwent full medical screening prior to their arrival in the Philippines,” it added.
Last year, Manila and Washington agreed to allow a limited number of Afghan nationals to temporarily stay in the Southeast Asian nation while waiting for the approval of their special immigrant US visas.
Afghan applicants would only be allowed to stay in Manila for 59 days, Philippine Foreign Affairs spokesperson Ma. Teresita C. Daza told reporters in a WhatsApp message in August.
They would have to stay in a “billet facility” while the US Embassy in Manila processes their applications, she said.
The DFA said the US government would cover the costs for the Afghan nationals’ stay in the Philippines, including their food, housing, medical care, security and transportation.
During President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.’s state visit to Washington in May 2023, US President Joseph R. Biden floated the idea of sheltering Afghan nationals for a limited time while they await their visas.
“The US Embassy has also assured [the Philippines] that the program will not impact the normal processing of immigrant and nonimmigrant visas for Filipinos,” the Philippine Foreign Affairs department said.
“The Department acknowledges the support of partners in the Philippine government for the timely and coordinated implementation of the agreement.” — John Victor D. Ordoñez
