A group of Afghan nationals arrived in the Philippines on Monday to process special immigrant visas for resettlement in the United States, under an agreement between Manila and Washington.
The Philippines agreed last July to temporarily host a U.S. immigration visa processing center for a limited number of Afghan nationals aspiring to resettle in America.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Teresita Daza said Afghan nationals who arrived in the Philippines on Monday were issued entry visas. She said they carried out extensive security checks and underwent full medical examinations before their arrival.
The U.S. government will cover the costs of staying Afghan nationals in the Philippines, including their food, housing, security, medical and transportation costs, she said.
She did not say how many Afghans have arrived or how long visa processing will take. According to Philippine rules, visa applicants cannot stay more than 59 days.
A senior Philippine official told The Associated Press last year that only 150 to 300 applicants would be hosted in the Philippines under the “one-off” deal. The official with knowledge of the negotiations agreed to speak on condition of anonymity because of his lack of authority to speak publicly.
Afghan nationals seeking resettlement worked primarily for the U.S. government in Afghanistan or were considered eligible for special U.S. immigration visas, but were left behind when Washington withdrew from the country and Taliban militants took over. power in a chaotic time in 2021.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken first conveyed the request to his Philippine counterpart in 2022, and President Joe Biden discussed the request with Philippine leader Ferdinand Marcos Jr. during his visit to the United States l last year, Philippine officials said.
Marcos has revived relations with the United States since winning the presidency with a landslide two years ago. In February last year, he authorized an expansion of the US military presence as part of a 2014 defense deal, a move that upset China.