The department did not say how many Afghan nationals will be hosted in the Philippines, but it was previously reported that the US had requested its South-East Asian ally to host at least 50,000 Afghans. – Philippine Daily Inquirer
MANILA: The Philippines said on Tuesday (Aug 20) it has agreed to a US government request to temporarily host "a limited number of Afghan nationals" fleeing Taliban rule, while they wait for their special immigrant visa to be processed for resettlement to the United States.
Under the agreement, the US will shoulder all expenses of the Afghan nationals, such as food, housing, security, medical and transportation, according to Teresita Daza, spokeswoman for the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs.
"Each applicant shall be authorised to stay in the Philippines for no more than 59 days," Daza said.
"All applicants will be subject to full security vetting by Philippine authorities and should secure an appropriate entry visa prior to arrival, in accordance with Philippine laws and regulations."
The agreement will need to be ratified by Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr before it becomes effective, she added.
The department did not say how many Afghan nationals will be hosted in the Philippines, but it was previously reported that the US had requested its South-East Asian ally to host at least 50,000 Afghans.
Philippine officials said the pilot phase would only involve 600 Afghans, who mostly worked for the US government or were deemed eligible for US special immigrant visas but were left behind when Washington withdrew from the country in 2021.
Philippine lawmakers had initially expressed concerns about security and legal issues related to the request, including fears that the Afghan nationals could be targets of terrorist attacks and uncertainty on what happens if their application is rejected. – DPA
