A group of Afghan nationals arrived in the Philippines on Monday to prepare for special immigrant visas to resettle in the United States
Their arrival is part of an agreement between the Philippine and U.S. governments.
The Philippines agreed in July to temporarily set up a U.S. immigrant visa processing center for a small number of Afghan nationals seeking to settle in the United States.
Philippine Foreign Affairs Department spokesperson Teresita Daza said the Afghan nationals who arrived in the Philippines on Monday were issued entry visas.
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Afghan Special Immigrant Visa applicants arrived in the Philippines on Monday to be processed before being resettled in the United States (Associated Press)
Daza said the Afghan nationals had completed extensive security clearances and received comprehensive medical examinations before arriving. She also said the U.S. government will bear the costs of their stay in the Philippines, including food, housing, security, medical care and transportation.
It is unclear how many Afghan nationals have arrived in the Philippines or how long visa processing takes, but Philippine regulations state that visa applicants cannot stay longer than 59 days.
President Biden discussed the Philippines’ potential to host the processing center with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. during his visit to the United States last year. (Associated Press)
A senior Philippine official said last year that only 150 to 300 applicants would be resettled in the Philippines under a “one-time” deal with the U.S. government.
Afghan nationals seeking to resettle in the United States primarily worked for the U.S. government in Afghanistan or were considered eligible for special U.S. immigrant visas, but were left behind during the 2021 troop withdrawal from the country and civilian chaos that led to the Taliban’s retaliation of Afghanistan against Regional control.
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Secretary of State Antony Blinken initially floated the idea of the Philippines hosting the processing center in 2022 when he spoke with his Philippine counterpart. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
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Secretary of State Antony Blinken first made a request to the Philippine Foreign Minister to establish the processing center in the Philippines in 2022.
Marcos Jr. has restored relations with the United States since winning the presidential election two years ago. Nearly a year ago, he unnerved Chinese officials by allowing the U.S. military to expand its military presence under a 2014 defense deal.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
