The Philippines announced today that it has agreed to a US request to temporarily accept a "limited number of Afghan nationals" fleeing Taliban rule until they are issued a special immigrant visa to resettle in the US, DPA reported, citing BTA.
According to the agreement, the US will cover all costs related to the stay of the Afghans, including food, accommodation, security, medical care and transportation, said Philippine Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Teresita Dasa.
„Each applicant will be allowed to stay in the Philippines for no more than 59 days,” Dasa said.
„All applicants will undergo full security screening by Philippine authorities and must obtain an appropriate entry visa prior to arrival, in accordance with Philippine laws and regulations,” she added.
To enter into force, this agreement must be ratified by Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
The ministry did not specify how many Afghan nationals would be accepted, but it was previously reported that the US had asked the Philippines to shelter at least 50,000 Afghans.
Philippine officials said the pilot phase would involve only 600 Afghan nationals, most of whom worked for the US government or met criteria for special immigrant visas but were unable to leave the country when Washington withdrew from Afghanistan through 2021
Philippine lawmakers initially raised concerns about security and legal issues, including fears that Afghan nationals could become targets of terrorist attacks, and the uncertainty of what would happen if such people's visa applications were rejected.